The 44th Annual Hunger Games
by Ironicduck
Summary: How did this happen? How could this have possibly happened? There were hundreds of potential tributes there – thousands! Yet, here I was. Connor Jedd from District 5 has been selected for the 44th Hunger Games. But, at just fifteen years old, how long will he last? The world will be watching...
1. Chapter 1

How did this happen? How could this have possibly happened? There were hundreds of potential tributes there – thousands! Yet, here I was. Me. Connor Jedd. Fifteen years of age. On my way to the Capitol to participate in the 44th Annual Hunger Games.

Blond hair blocks my waterlogged vision, as I sit there, curled up in a ball on the train straight from District 5 to the Capitol – a journey from which I will probably never return. District 5. My home. The thought brings a fresh set of tears to my eyes. What would my siblings be doing now? With no parents, their brother being reaped just lost them one more way of earning money. Tristan, the head of the family at twenty years of age; he'd probably be staying strong for my sister, Pura, who would be weeping uncontrollably.

Sitting across from me is Ace Harper. She's this years' female District 5 tribute. At seventeen, she's two years older than me, and it shows. Shadowed, bloodshot eyes are staring out the window, but not one tear has leaked from them since the Reaping. Blonde silk hair flows onto her body, which is also curled up, like mine.

I brush the hair from my vision and wipe my eyes as I hear the door to the carriage hiss open. Our escort, Decimus Lilydore, steps in. He's wearing an ice blue tight suit that erupts with huge crystals at the shoulders. His hair is neatly trimmed, and white with cyan streaks. Eyes dusted with frosting look us up and down.

'Not bad, not bad' he says, 'We can work with that. Now, you two, I think it's about time you met your mentors.'

His white-lipped mouth creeps into a grin. I imagine this is supposed to seem warm and comforting, but it's really failed in that department and somewhat unnerves me. Ace stands up, expressionless and walks over to Decimus, who exits through the door he first appeared from, beckoning us to follow. I stand up, finding my legs to be stiff after being pressed against my chest for however long the journey has been so far.

I cautiously step along towards the door and follow Decimus and Ace into the neighbouring carriage. This carriage is very plush – in any other circumstance, I probably would be taking in every detail in awe, but today my eyes are solely focused on the two people seated on one of the two couches in the room. The first I recognise as Tyga Redlake. She had been the victor two years ago, and is still only eighteen years of age. Fire red hair curls down onto her shoulders and she smiles at us as we walk in. The other is Tobi Hornan. I hadn't been born when he won, but I understand that he had won the 26th Hunger Games when he was 18, making him 36 now. I'd met him once, when he came into school for a talk on Capitol society, but as far as I'm aware, most of his time is spent living in his house in the Capitol, as opposed to the District 5 Victor's Village. He has curly white hair but, unlike Decimus', the streaks in his are black to match his suit. I imagine this is probably the fashion in the Capitol at the moment.

Decimus introduces us to them and then tells us a little bit about who our mentors are and how they'd won, before strutting out the room, giving us both a slightly (but probably unintentionally) sinister wink. Tobi gestures for us to sit on the other couch which is at a 90° angle to theirs, and we do so.

'Right' Tobi begins, 'First things first – sponsors. If you're a tribute in the Games, sponsors are the most important resource you can have. Sure, it's not the end of the world if you don't make the best impression, but if you get injured and don't have any sponsors to send you medicine, then life in the arena's gonna be a hell of a lot harder.'

Tyga continues on from Tobi.

'The interviews are the most important thing, but every move you make on camera is going to be judged. From the moment you're reaped, people are making bets on you, odds are being created. Ace, you're doing well so far, however, Connor-' she looks at me, 'You've got a bit of catching up to do.'

It's true. There's no way I could've come across as sponsor-worthy so far. Tears formed in my eyes the moment I hit the stage. I'd caught myself in a reflection and seen a pale, frightened face staring back at me. Who'd place any money on that?

Tyga and Tobi then suggest we watch the full set of reapings to familiarise ourselves with the other tributes, and a few stand out for me. Both from District 1 lodge themselves in my mind because of their ridiculous names – the girl, Bliss, is slim with long chocolate hair, and the boy, Chant, is also slim, but appears very fit and also looks about twenty, so I am shocked to see he's only seventeen. There's a fourteen year-old girl with tight black curls from three, and a dazzling boy from four, who I'm sure will gain many sponsors just on his appearance. Then it's us. Ace looks very strong, no fear shown in her eyes when we're called up. Not like me. I cringe as a pale, broken boy slowly steps onto the stage. Tyga and Tobi look uncomfortable. A few more stick in my memory – both from eight volunteer after their younger siblings are called up, a thirteen year-old girl from nine collapses after her name's called – I feel terribly sorry for her as this won't help her gain any sponsors, and finally, an eighteen-year old girl from eleven who volunteers before the name has even finished being read out. She has a scar on her cheek and murderous eyes. After the pair from twelve shake hands, the screen flickers off, and Tobi speaks.

'So, what do you think of the competition?'

To my surprise Ace speaks for the first time since she was reaped, 'District 1 and the girl from District 11 look like they could be problems.' So she's noticed the same threats as me then.

'Yes,' Tyga replies, 'The Capitol have them, along with the boy from two, down as the favourites at this early stage.'

Who was the boy from two? I can't remember.

'But it's still all to play for.' she continues, 'The training scores and, more importantly, the interviews are the things that really craft your odds and gain you sponsors.'

We spend about another half an hour running through tips on increasing your sponsors before Decimus returns and announces, in his strong Capitol accent, that we'll be arriving in two hours, so we all head to the dining carriage for supper. District 5 isn't a poor district, on the whole, but at least a third of the food on the table I've never seen before in my life. Delicate plates are piled high with meats and fruits, cheeses and desserts. I take a glass filled with a pink liquid – I figure I might as well try something new – there's a one in twenty-four chance that I'll never try it again. I gulp down a mouthful and it tastes disgusting, so I quickly have a sip of water to rid myself of the clinical taste. Tyga doesn't eat a huge amount, but Tobi has filled his plate with something from at least half of the dishes on the table. Ace cautiously tries a spiced chicken wing, and decides she likes it – spending the rest of the meal dining on these. I try a bit of everything, most of which is delightful.

Half way through the meal, after polishing off a plate of bright red meat, Decimus attempts conversation.

'Oh, you'll _love_ the Capitol' he says enthusiastically, 'It's such a stylish place.'

We don't respond.

'And the people are _so_ friendly.' I doubt this, so I turn to Tobi, who spends most of his time there. His expression neither encourages this view, nor does it say it's a lie. 'Honestly, you compare some of the children in the Capitol to the tributes you see every year and the difference in manners and etiquette is just astounding!'

_Yeah_, I think, _maybe that's because they don't ever have to worry about being forced to fight to the death on national TV_. I hate him for this comment. I see Tyga shoot him a murderous look.

'Oh, but of course not you two.' He adds hastily, 'You're simply delightful!'

This appears to be more directed at me than Ace, but, if anything, this makes me despise him more.

After this, the conversation dies down quickly, and it's not long before we finish eating. Supper lasts around 45 minutes, so after we finish we decide to make our way back to our chambers to clean ourselves up for the cameras and fans that will be eagerly awaiting our arrival at the Capitol. The same people who, a few days from now, will be cheering as our deaths provide them with some light entertainment.

I shower, and change into a casual shirt and trousers. The shelves of the bathroom are laden with beauty products. I read the backs of some of the bottles and try a few out on my arm. After spraying it on my wrist, one product removes all freckles on my arm, at which point I choose to stop and leave my room. The tunnel leading up to the Capitol has left the carriages absent of any natural light. As I walk down the carriage I can hear faint sobs. A door opens several metres in front of me. Tyga exits with reddened eyes. She's been crying. Tobi follows her. I dodge round a corner, to make sure I'm not aware to have witnessed some form of private moment. For a moment I ponder why one of my mentors has any reason to cry. An answer does not immerge quickly, so I continue down the carriage to the main lounge.

When I arrive at the lounge, Decimus, Ace and Tobi are all sat on plush velvet chairs. Tyga is absent. Decimus springs into animation when I appear.

'Okay, good! Just in time!' he yelps excitably, 'We're just about to enter the Capitol. Now, people will be watching you, so smile or look fierce or whatever, just don't look-' He pauses, '-weak.'

Light pours into the carriage as the train exits the tunnel. My eyes adjust a second and suddenly they're full of colour. Decimus didn't lie in his descriptions of the Capitol. It is stunning. I suddenly realise people have spotted the Tribute train. Rainbow bursts of Capitol citizens stare at the train. I look over to Decimus, who beams, as we inhale the very essence of his home. He mouths a word to me – 'wave'.

I do, and the crowd outside go wild, hopping up and down in glee. I've found that their smiles have radiated into me, and I am now wildly grinning at the Capitol residents. My smile only falters when I realise that the people I am waving to will be the same people who will be overjoyed to watch me, and twenty-two others, die in the arena.

That somewhat ruins the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is my first fanfiction - I'd love to hear what you think about it. Let me know what you think of it, what you want to happen, what you think will happen. I have the first 6 and a half chapters written already, but (aside from these first 2) I'll aim to post one every week or so. So, anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

'-And we're going to have big colours this year! It's all about BIG! But, of course, we've got to represent the power that District 5 brings to Panem and we mustn't forget those subdued tones that keep the look believable. I mean in this day and age, you come out all colours blazing and it's like _next_, you know?'

No. I have absolutely no idea what this insane woman is talking about, but I nod my head and smile, as she inspects every inch of my body. This woman is my stylist, Cassia, and she is possibly the most irritating person I've ever met. Since I entered the Remake Centre over an hour and a half ago, she has barely stopped for a breath. Her hair is an unnaturally light blonde and frizzes outwards, until it cuts off at her shoulders. Her eyes are a scary lilac, which matches her holofoil dress. I remember seeing her in previous games. She's been with District 5 for a few years, I think.

My prep team are stood around me, hands on hips. They're smiling though, so I guess whatever they've been doing for the last hour and a half has been worth it. They're not a bad prep team – although I have nothing to compare them to. From their conversation, it seems like they genuinely want me to do well, which is nice. Actually, the opposite of hoping I do well is hoping I die, so I guess it's not really _nice_, more _not horrible_. My prep team consist of Pollia, a short, skinny woman with orange hair – not ginger, _orange_, Fabius, a tall man with white hair, tied up in a bun with golden streaks, and Carvilia, a young, nervous woman with the most natural hair I've seen of anyone in the Capitol so far. It's brown, with leaves and lilies scattered around it. Each of them wears the same white uniform, but each has embellished their look with different types of jewelry, including a metal bracelet adorning Carvilia's wrist that reminds me of home.

'You know what?' Pollia starts, seizing an opportunity to speak in a rare pause in Cassia's jabber, 'Once we've got you all made up, you won't look half bad!'

'Of course he won't look bad' Cassia snaps back, 'I'm styling him!'

She boastfully grins at me, before sending out the prep team. They scurry out the room and Cassia gestures to my robe. I reach over to it and wrap it around me, grateful to be able to hide my naked body, and with that, a large amount of awkward dissipates from the room. Cassia perches on a table at the side of the room and begins to speak, in her high pitched Capitol accent.

'Now, District 5 has always posed quite a problem for me' she begins, 'Because your industry is power. Power.'

Her mouth plays with the word for a bit before she continues.

'And the problem with power is that it's not a physical entity. If you've got District 7 – Lumber – you base your look on trees. Easy. If you've got District 4 – Fishing – you base your look on the sea. It's not difficult. But, with power, you've really got to be inventive. I presume you saw my outfit for 5 last year, yes?'

She stares at me and I fear if I say no she may just seriously injure me.

'Yes' I reply, 'It was brilliant!'

It really wasn't. Although having said that, it wasn't awful. She'd focused on (I presume) our nuclear power industry, because the outfit was a skin-tight lime green ensemble that glowed brightly, like radiation.

'Wasn't it just!' she says gleefully, 'Anyway, that was focused on the nuclear side of your power, so I thought this year we'd focus on another type of power your District provides – solar!'

She pauses, beaming at me. I feel I should say something.

'Oh.'

That wasn't the response I intended to give and it certainly wasn't the response she was hoping for, as her smile curves downwards. It remains there for a second before shooting back into a grin.

'Well, you'll just have to wait and see what I have planned for you! It'll be sensational – promise!'

Within a few hours, I am staring at myself in the mirror, dressed in my parade costume. It consists of a sleeveless shirt, the buttons of which are undone revealing my chest, and trousers. On top of the shirt is a huge collar that reaches up to my ears. The whole outfit is made of a fabric that replicates a mirror, and the lights of the Remake Centre reflect all over it. I have mixed feelings about it. The idea's pretty cool, but I can't help but feel it's not going to stand out in the crowd. Also the cuts are awful. I, however, look the best I've ever seen myself. My blond hair has been trimmed and is parted – very suave, and my whole body has been dusted with a light bronze, making me look quite tanned. I suddenly notice my chest. My muscular, ripped chest. What have they done to me? I didn't have this six-pack this morning. I lean in closer, and I realise that it's just very cleverly done make-up, and I can't help but be wowed by the prep team's ability.

'So what do you think?' Fabius chimes.

'It's...wonderful!' I say. My team blush and a chorus of _oh, stop it_ and _you're too kind _begins.

I am promptly taken down to the bottom floor of the Remake Centre by Cassia, with my prep team remaining upstairs. The floor is full of stylists and tributes. Twelve chariots are lined up, drawn by beautiful, muscular horses.

Cassia walks me over to where Ace is standing with her stylist, a man with plaited crimson hair, who is introduced as Surius. Ace looks disgusted by what she's wearing. Her outfit is made of the same material as mine, but is a long flowing dress. The huge collar is the also the same. Her skin is bronzed like me, but she has masses of silver eye makeup applied and her silvery hair is tied up, high above her head. She seems somewhat relieved to see that she's not the only one with this type of outfit on, as Cassia makes our presence known.

After the conversation is only a few lines in, the District 1 chariot leaves. Chant is dressed in a dashing black suit, and Bliss wears a ball gown, as if they are going to a dance together, however both have diamonds erupting from the chest. As their chariot leaves the stables, I can hear the crowd scream in excitement as they meet the glistening spectacle. District 2's chariot is leaving almost the second the exit is free, and Ace and I are hurried onto ours by Cassia and Surius. They remind us to wave and before I know it, the chariot is pulling out into the limelight.

A huge applause greets us, and I can hear similar screams to the ones District 1 received – this has got to be good. I take a second to glance down at my outfit. Out here, it is truly magnificent. The multicoloured lights of the capital beam into the crowd as they reflect off my torso. I remember what our stylists said and I raise my left hand up and wave to the crowd. Ace has done the same, but I see she is not waving. Her hand is up greeting the crowd, but her face is stern and majestic. It reminds me of the Victory Tour – like she's already won, and the power I see in her eyes tells me that she'll be getting a high training score.

As we ride in, periodic bursts of applause signal the other chariots. In particular, District 7 causes the crowd to erupt in cheers. They are almost completely naked, but oh so beautiful. Autumnal leaves cover the areas we do not want to see, and holographic butterflies circle them. Being so soon after us, they've stolen the spotlight, so I better hope my interview goes well.

After we return to the stables, prep teams swarm towards their District tributes. Cassia and Surius hop over to us.

'You did so well!' Cassia bursts out, but I can see the corner of her eye lock onto 7s prep team who are being swamped in congratulations.

'Thanks!' I say.

Surius speaks next, 'I've been speaking to the other stylists and the general consensus is that 1, 5 and 7 were the highlights, so great job, you two!' He shakes both our hands, and gives Ace a kiss on the cheek. 'Now, I think it's time we take you up to the Training Centre Tower – you'll need your sleep for tomorrow. You'll need to be wide awake for the Training Centre – it may just be the thing that saves your life.'

These words stay with me all evening, and when I fall asleep they haunt me in my dreams. And it's really scary, because I know it's true. Because, by the end of this week, there's a good chance I'll be dead. And that terrifies me more than anything.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hope you're enjoying it - please review - they're much appreciated :D

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

The Training Floor is significantly bigger than I thought it would be. Stations are scattered around the room – everything from knot tying to axe throwing. After a quick speech from the head trainer, we are allowed off to whichever stations we want. Ace heads off to knife throwing, and I follow her.

She doesn't pay much attention to me, as she hits a bullseye first time. After this I note that she only once hits another bullseye. Tobi had reminded us not to show off our full strengths in the Training Centre, as to not alert the other tributes of abilities to watch out for. Most of my shots are on the target, but they are almost all on the outside rings, so I decide to move on, as Ace stays there.

I decide on a more practical station next. I walk over to the edible plants station, where a few tributes have gathered. Both of the tributes from 8, and the girl from 9 are watching an elder, smiley woman strip a plant clean of its spiky leaves.

The woman rips off parts of the stem and hands each of us a piece to try. The plant, which I learn is called Rootwad, actually tastes rather nice.

The demonstration is periodically interrupted by whoops and cheers from the Career tributes, who are humiliating everyone's ability at the archery and swording stations. I make note that Chant is particularly skilled with a sword – I'll need to watch out for that.

Over the next half an hour I spend at the edible plants station, I learn how to distinguish between edible and inedible berries, and we have a mini-quiz called 'Toxic or Tasty?'. I do alarmingly bad at this and make a mental note to visit this station again tomorrow, to try and improve this. The girl from 8 who volunteered for her sister is shockingly good. This makes me feel rather useless so I choose to move on.

I visit the archery and axes stations – both of which I am atrocious at, so I am relieved when the lunch bell goes. The lunch is a buffet of Capitol delights. I sit with Ace, but she doesn't really engage in conversation. Instead, we both just dig into our meals until a voice breaks our table's silence.

'Is this seat taken?'

I look up. It's the district 8 girl – the plant genius. I shake my head. I imagine I'm probably looking confused, but I believe I have a right to. She sits down beside me and Ace lifts her head.

'What do you want?' she spits, accusingly.

The girl sighs. 'My mentor thinks I should be socialising with the other Districts. Don't really understand why but, hey, I guess he knows what he's doing – I mean, he won.'

She digs her fork into a plate of purple fish.

'I'm Melissa by the way.'

'Connor', I reply. When Ace doesn't introduce herself, I do it for her.

The conversation dies down a bit, until Ace pipes up, to my surprise.

'I thought you were brave.' She says, her eyes focused on her nearly empty plate, 'For volunteering for your sister.' She then scrapes the last piece of food off her plate and into her mouth, and leaves the table for second portions.

'So, what stations have you visited?' she asks, brushing off the compliment.

'Erm... Edible plants, knife throwing, axes and archery. Not that I was any good at any of them.' She probably thinks I'm lying to hide any advantage I may have in the arena. I wish I was. 'You?'

'Edible plants, with you. Also edible insects and fire making. I thought I'd focus on the more practical stuff today and combat tomorrow.' That's a good strategy, I suppose.

'I saw you with the plants. You really know your stuff. What I don't understand is how? District 8 is a pretty urban district, right?'

'I read.' She replies bluntly, 'When you're not working, there's not much to do, and we have a large library in 8. It's mostly books about fabric design, but there are some in there about plants – after all, the materials we use mostly come from plants.'

For the first time, I really take a good look at Melissa. Her skin is dark and her hair is black, tied up in a ponytail. She must be around sixteen, maybe seventeen, and she's pretty skinny. I don't know if 8 is a rich District or not, but I'd take a guess that it's not. We chat until the end of lunch. When Ace returns, she makes no effort to engage in conversation and when the bell goes, we all get up and return to the training area.

I spend the rest of my time in the training area on two stations. The first is the trident section. To be honest, I don't see this coming in handy, but I figure that it can't be too different from using a spear, and the spears station is already half way through a demonstration when I make my mind up. Not wishing to dent my perfect fail streak, I find myself to be awful at this too. The rest of the day I spend at the slingshot station. This is the first station I've found myself to be skilled at. I get a buzz when I have to hide my ability to the District 4 tributes that join me. I don't see Ace again until supper.

Five seats are assembled at the table, three of which are filled. Decimus sits poised at the end of the table, dressed head to toe in orange (the streaks in his hair are now orange too), with Tyga and Tobi lined on one side of the table, and two empty spaces for Ace and I opposite them. I sit down to face Tobi and begin to tuck in, before I notice all eyes are on me.

'So?' says Decimus, eagerly leaning in, 'How'd it go?'

'Not that great, really. I tried knife throwing – wasn't any good at that. Archery. Nope. Edible plants, tridents, axes.' I watch their faces fall, so I hastily try to end on a positive, 'But I was good at using the slingshot.' Their faces lift slightly, 'And I socialised.' I add.

I'm not sure if this will go down well. Neither Tobi nor Tyga had instructed us to socialise, but it can't be a bad thing, can it? I look to their faces for reassurance. Tyga doesn't express much emotion, but Tobi is smiling.

'Good.' He says, nodding his head. 'Who with?'

'The girl from District 8' I reply, 'She really knows her plants.'

'Really? She's from 8 and she knows about plants?' Decimus probes.

'She reads' I say, 'They've got a big library in 8, and some of the books are-'

Tyga interrupts me. 'Look, it's great to socialise, find some allies, all that – just don't get too-' She pauses, '-attached.'

Before I can question this any more, Ace arrives and slumps herself on the chair next to me. Decimus rolls his eyes.

'And you?' Tobi asks.

'Yeah, went alright, I guess.'

I decide to pipe up, 'She was really good at the throwing knives. She hit the target first time.' I grin at Ace, but it is not reciprocated.

'Is that so?' Tyga leans in. 'Any other hidden talents?'

'I can light a fire – no problem.' She says. 'And I'm not too bad with an axe.'

'Wow. We've got a regular Kay Kyla!' Tobi jokes. Decimus chuckles.

Kay Kyla won the 6th Hunger Games – he won because he was pretty much a master at every weapon. He got one kid killed with a bow and arrow, another with an axe, set a rope trap for another – you gave him a weapon, he could use it.

Decimus speaks up, his Capitol accent flowing from tangerine lips, 'Well, I've been drumming up support for you two all day! Ace, in particular, your odds are looking great! We'll be sure to see you receive some sponsors!'

I am tempted to ask about my odds, but I can imagine what the response would be and I'm not sure I want to hear it.

'But you both have to remember that your interviews and training scores are of paramount importance!'

The way his affected accent mutates the word 'paramount' almost makes me want to burst out in laughter, but I decide against this. It wouldn't go down too well.

I awake suddenly, sweat dripping down me. The things that came to me during sleep terrify me. Swirls of crimson are soaked in images from the last two days. Surius' lips pierce the dark – 'It may just be the thing that saves your life'. My name is called in the Reaping. Tyga weeps through closed doors. My family cries as I say goodbye to them.

It's early morning. It can't be much later than 6am, but there's no way I'm returning to those nightmares, so I slip on some light trousers and a top, and head out of my room, in an attempt to find some fresh air.

My bare feet make silent steps as I navigate the corridor to find some kind of balcony. I jar suddenly as a nightmare flashes back to me, but I soon realise this is no figment of my imagination. Through a nearby door, I can hear the weeping I recognise as Tyga's. Before, I was happy to accept that my mentor was crying, but now I need to know why, because it infuriates me that she's the one crying!

I press myself against her wall, not risking the door, in case it should open. I can hear muffled words, but as I listen for longer, they begin to become distinguished. Tobi's recognisable tone sounds.

'These two are different.' He says.

'No they're not!' she wails. 'They're the same!'

'No.' Tobi replies sternly, 'These two are fighters – they can win it.'

'So, were Dior and Theo – that's what you said! But, they're not! They're the same as all the other tributes!'

Dior and Theo were last year's tributes from 5. Theo had been one of the first to die in the bloodbath, killed by the District 1 Career who went on to win it. Dior had lasted slightly longer, but by the third day, the Careers had got her too.

'Listen!' Tobi says with robust authority. Tyga's sobbing ceases. 'This is exactly what I said with your year. Remember that? And who won it? You did!'

'But I can't take it!' she says, so quietly, I can only just make it out. 'Because there's no way around it. Any way you look at it, one of these two is gonna die.'

And with that, I move my head away from the wall, and dash back to my room, knowing that I've just witnessed a scene that will return to me tonight, as I dream of how I will die. Because as Tyga said, there's no way around it. Either Ace or I will be dead by the end of the Games.

And even if no one says it, we all know it won't be Ace.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: To make sure I never leave you waiting for a chapter for long, my writing is several chapters ahead of the ones I publish. As I'm writing a bit more recently, I decided to publish another chapter back-to-back. I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far, as it's my first fanfic. And, as always, enjoy!

* * *

The morning flies by. Breakfast is a blur, and I find it tricky to look anyone in the eye, especially my mentors. Decimus' usually annoyingly uplifting attitude is a relief for once. When I arrive at the edible plants station for my second day of training, I find, to my surprise, that I have retained most of the information from yesterday. At a quick glance, I can't see Melissa, but Ace is at the station next to me, proving her talent of axe throwing.

However, the whole morning I find myself not too focused. I can't help but replay Tyga's sorrowful cries back and forth in my head. After several hours of contemplation, I realise I unfairly misjudged Tyga's situation as mentor. She only won two years ago, and I bet she thought that once she won, life was going to be so much simpler. I know I did, up until this morning. But, when Dior and Theo got killed last year, I guess it must have hit her hard – she must have been close to them. To get close to someone and then have them ripped apart is exactly what's happening to me. She's out of the Hunger Games, but she's still no less a victim than Ace or I am.

With this spurring me on, I decide that after lunch I will be truly focused. I spend a little more time at the edible plants station, then the slingshot station, before it's time for lunch.

Melissa does not join us for lunch and, for the most part, Ace and I sit in silence. The Careers are gathered all on one table. There are six of them and they all look like fierce competition. Chant is significantly taller than me, with golden hair that any girl would kill to touch. He's the loudest of the group. Next to him is Bliss. Her dark brown hair is tied up in a high ponytail that drapes down her back and she's laughing at Chant's comments, most of which are loud enough for me to hear how insulting they are to the other tributes. I decide that I really dislike Chant.

I finally take time to notice the boy from 2. He's not as loud as the others, but he looks fierce. Muscles bulge and I can see scars on his arms – this guy knows how to fight. Across the table from him is the district 2 girl, Melissa told me her name was Teal. However, she doesn't appear to be joining in with the jokes, unlike the District 4 pair who look like they may just wet themselves with laughter. I realise that it's not just Chant I dislike, it's all the Careers. The whole freakin' lot of them.

Most of the other tables house no more than two tributes. The tributes from District 3 are sitting together next to the Careers. It's evident they want to move, but with the sparsely populated room, no tables are left empty. I decide to call the girl 'Frizz' – her hair is made up of tight dark curls, contrasting against pale skin. I notice Melissa sitting with the District 7 male. He has light chestnut hair and doesn't seem to be promoting much conversation. Melissa looks bored.

When lunch ends, we return to training. I decide that, although I've found a talent with the slingshot, I can't guarantee that I'll get my hands on one, so I should probably attempt to gain some kind of skill in another weapon. Having visited a large majority of the weapons stations, I think back to which I was most successful at. I deduce that this was the knife throwing, so I see if I can fine-tune my abilities. I mean, _surely_ I'll be able to get my hands on a knife in the arena.

The knife throwing station is empty, aside from the instructor and Frizz. She seems to be fairly good with it and, with the instructor's assistance, she hits a bullseye right before I arrive. I do significantly better than I did yesterday, and once, I even get a bullseye (though, I reckon this is probably more down to the instructor than my ability). After about twenty minutes at the station, Melissa arrives next to me. Her first throw doesn't even hit the board, but instead goes flying into the wall behind. It hits it and clatters to the ground, having left an indent in the gleaming white wall. After a few minutes assistance, she is managing to hit the outskirts of the target eighty percent of the time, but when our instructor goes to help the District 11 boy who appears by my side, Melissa speaks.

'Wow, harder than it looks, eh?'

I smile lightly. I'm not sure why she's so intent on conversing with me – for all I know, it could be part of a plan to kill me. Though, if she did need a tribute to be part of her plan, I'm sure a weak fifteen-year old boy would not have been her first choice.

'Tell you what, definitely sitting with you for lunch tomorrow. That kid from 7 was pretty dull. Honestly, they're either moping, like him, or they're cocky, like the Careers.'

I'm not sure I'm happy with her thinking of the tributes this way, but I let it slide.

'I mean, you're in the Games. I know, it's awful. Horrible. But, in a few days, you're gonna be in an arena fighting for your life, so man up!'

As much as I don't think you should insult someone who will probably be dead by next week, I do see her point. It's a very good point and, with this, I decide that I want Melissa as an ally.

We spend the next half hour or so knife throwing – a task which I am now reasonably good at. Not that I can say the same for Melissa. She's really pretty poor, with not much improvement showing. I then head to archery, hoping for a magical improvement to have happened over night, but sadly I have no such luck. Before I know it, the day is over, and I'm heading up to the fifth floor with Ace.

To my surprise, she sparks up conversation in the corridor.

'Are you nervous about your training session?' She asks.

'I haven't really thought about it.' I say. I'd tried to clear my mind of any non-urgent matters that may make me question how long my existence will continue, as a general rule.

Ace doesn't appear to think this is a particularly valid response, and turns her mouth up at me.

'Well, it's pretty important, you know' she says, before suddenly disappearing into her room.

I decide to not over-think this. If I did, I'm sure it would terrify me. I'm sure I'd be shaking in nervousness as I thought about how this could affect whether I live or die. But, I'm not going to over-think this, so when I reach my room, I open my door with trembling hands and think no more about it.

At dinner, Decimus recommends a dish of red meat and I find it to be delicious. Most of the conversation is drained by the quality of the food, but I do feel a rush of awkward crash over me when Tyga enters late. I notice half way through that both the mentors seem particularly glammed up. When I question this, they explain that they've spent the last few hours at a mentor conference. This is where the mentors all meet each other. Most have already met before, especially in non-Career Districts, where mentors don't change all too often. The way Tyga describes it makes it sound like essentially a mentor meet-and-greet.

After we finish eating, I return to my room. I spend a good five minutes just examining the shower features now I have some time. There are all kinds of buttons that I daren't try. After my shower, I slink into bed, and promptly fall asleep.

I am shocked when a knock on my door wakes me up. My nights have recently been infested by nightmarish visions, so to not wake up in a sweat is a relief. However, I can't deny that it's not pleasant having Decimus' freaky Capitol accent being the first thing you hear in the morning.

'Wake up! Wake up! Big day today – got those all important training sessions!' he sings through the door.

For a few blissful seconds, I'd forgotten about the training sessions and how they will shape my future in the Games, but now the nerves come swarming back. I rub eyes dusted with sleep as Decimus' voice continues... and continues... and continues, until I reach off the side of my bed, and fling a shoe at the door. A welcome silence greets me.

I get up, and find my training outfit ready in my wardrobe. I put it on, with the number '5' pinned on the back. I head to breakfast, at which I have a simple bowl of cereal. This reminds me of home, but this dish has significantly more taste.

During lunch, one by one we're called out for our training sessions in front of the Gamemakers. The first called out is Chant, who smirks at the other tributes, before walking into his session. After about fifteen minutes, Bliss is called. Next is the fierce boy of District 2, followed by Teal, and before I know it, I'm called. Butterflies erupt in my stomach and I take a glance at Ace. She offers a comforting smile which means a lot considering how rarely she gives these out.

I walk into a large gymnasium. There is a raised platform that houses the Gamemakers who enjoy a banquet as we fight for a score equalling a lifeline in the arena. Nice. The area is scattered with stations, like in training, for showing off skills in all kinds of weapons. I decide to head to the slingshot station. I pick up a silvery intricately designed slingshot. I pull back the elastic, and take a look over at the Gamemakers. I'm lucky, I guess, being only the ninth tribute they see – by Districts 11 and 12, they've probably gotten quite bored. I load up the slingshot and fire it at the target. I press down a smile when I hit very close to the bullseye. This was way more luck than judgement, but I try not to let that show. My next two shots are close to the centre, but neither come close to the first shot.

I then walk over to the knife throwing station and whisper a silent prayer. I pick up a knife and fondle it in my hand. I have no idea why I'm doing this, but I imagine it probably looks like I know what I'm doing. I move up to the target, and ready myself, before throwing the knife. It flies through the air.

With a clatter, it hits the ground, after rebounding off the wall, and in that clatter I see my chances of a good score, and a successful Hunger Games, vanish in the blink of an eye.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. Chapters 5 and 6 were originally going to be one, but somehow they managed to go on for longer than planned, so instead they are now 2 (rather large) chapters. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and please, if you've read it, leave a review - they are REALLY appreciated ;) Enjoy!

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I try to recover, but the fail has shaken me. I throw a few more knives – they all hit the board, but the closest I get to the centre is the middle rings. I am then dismissed by the Gamemakers, which comes as a relief, as I think continuing would've led to some form of breakdown.

I scuttle into the elevator, and ascend up to floor 5. Upon arrival, I dash straight for my room, jump on my freshly-made bed and bury my face in my legs. I try to remain positive, hoping that my slingshot skills will boost my score up, but it's not coming easy. What annoys me so much is that I could have done better – it was just a fluke that I missed. All day yesterday I was on target.

After what is probably hours, I'm called to the revealing of the scores. I wipe the redness from my eyes and try to recreate some composure. The room in which this takes place is very plush. A large screen is placed in front of one very long, curved sofa. It is decorated with sleek cushions, and a group of people are sitting there. Ace is slouched on the end and next to her is Surius, sitting upright, eyes locked on me. Beside him is Cassia who beams enthusiastically at me, with her lilac eyes and white lipstick. To the right of her is Tyga, her hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing an orange cocktail dress. There is then a space where I presume I will be sitting, and Tobi occupies the end of the sofa, in a green suit. I place myself between Tyga and Tobi.

The screen is already on, and Caesar Flickerman is just finishing giving the audience an insight as to why the scores are important. Before I've got comfortable, he announces that the scores will now be revealed.

The scores are announced in the order of the training sessions, so Chant's gleaming face emerges on screen first. The number that appears next to him is a 10. I was correct to identify him as a threat. His District partner then replaces him on the screen and, like Chant, Bliss receives a threatening score – hers being a 9. The boy from two replaces her and his menacing glare strikes fear in my heart. A 10 lights up next his face. Teal appears next, receiving an 8.

'Hm. The Careers are certainly gonna be strong competition this year.' Tobi states. There is a murmur of agreement in the room.

I turn back to see the pale face of Frizz, my nickname for the girl from 3, pop up on the screen. A 7 appears next to her. She probably showed off her knife-throwing skills. From what I could tell, she was pretty good at it. Both from 4 receive 8s and then suddenly my face flickers onto the screen. I tense up, butterflies exploding all over my stomach, and my score is revealed.

I score 5.

After a short pause of deadly silence, Cassia is the first to speak.

'Wow, I almost didn't recognise your picture – don't you look so handsome!' A wrenched smile is on her face, as a nervous laugh escapes her lips.

Before anyone has time to think of some other ridiculous response, Ace's face has replaced mine. She looks sinister. There is a slight pause, and a score of 10 pops up next to her face. The sofa erupts in applause, Surius giving Ace a tight hug, which isn't received happily, but is accepted. Ace can't help but slip a smile on.

'Oh, we can _definitely_ work with that!' Decimus sings, overjoyed.

Ace receives several hugs and pats on the back, before Tobi takes a second to consolidate me.

'Don't worry. People only really take note of the high scores. For all they know, you could be hiding a talent to prevent you from being seen as a threat and, therefore, a target.'

Except, I'm not. I'm just _that_ bad. By the time my mind has gotten over the initial shock, and the room has died down, Melissa's face appears on the screen, meaning we missed the scores from Districts 6 and 7. Melissa receives a 6. This comforts me more than anything, because I know she's talented with survival skills, so clearly training scores don't always reflect everything. Yet, I can't help wondering if the same horrible silence that met my score is currently present on floor 8.

A few more scores stick in my mind. The thirteen-year old girl from 9 scores a 3, prompting an '_aww_' from both the stylists. Both from ten get 6. However, the one that is met with a large reaction is District 11's terrifying girl, who scores an 11, the highest score of this year, I believe. There is a worrying mutter that spreads round the room. I hear Decimus call her Rayne. After all the scores are announced, everyone's faces are shown on the screen together, with those with scores of eight or over highlighted. Nine faces are lit up – all the Careers, Ace, Rayne and the boy from 6 who scored an 8. Then the screen flickers off.

Not much more is said about the scores after that. The mentors can see I'm tired, and so is Ace, even if she tries not to show it. They send us to bed, and sleep greets me quickly. The nightmares are there again, and by the time I wake up, a familiar cocoon of sweat encases me.

I begin a shower and, half way through, I hear Decimus' routine knock that usually wakes me. After I've dried myself, I throw on some loose clothes that I find in a drawer. There's no point dressing up, for today is the day of the interviews that broadcast across Panem, which means the second my prep team can get their hands on me, I'll be perfected.

Breakfast is tense with excitement. Decimus tells us, with glee evident in his voice, that we will spend a few hours with him. Then I will spend an hour with Tobi, whilst Ace spends an hour with Tyga. Lunch will follow, and then we will resume for another hour, before our prep teams spend hours preparing us for our interview.

'I spoke with a few friends in the Capitol' says Tobi, swallowing a mouthful of egg, 'And word is that District 5 is seen as one of the ones to watch this year!'

I can tell that by 'District 5' he means Ace, but I smile, and dig into my meal.

'Now,' Tyga adds. They have a habit of continuing on from each other; Tobi probably liked Tyga when he was her mentor. 'Today will be your last chance to speak with any of the other tributes, so if there's any alliances you aim to form before the Games, you better agree on them now, because once you're in the arena, it's every man – or woman – for themselves.'

I ponder this for a minute. No doubt Ace hasn't made any friends. She's cold and unsociable, and she probably works best alone. But, I have Melissa. Should I try and form some kind of alliance there? She knows a lot about survival which would come in handy, but can I trust her? I barely know her, I suddenly realise. She could kill me the second we get into the arena.

Breakfast finishes, and Decimus takes us both into one of our floor's quarters. I haven't been in this room before. It's plush, but fairly empty. A few chairs are located in the middle, and there's a screen on the western wall. I realise that they're set up as the interviews would be.

He spends the first half an hour briefing us on what we mustn't do. What we _categorically_ mustn't do. We do not insult the audience. We do not insult the Capitol. We do not insult any other districts, ideally, but certainly not any threatening districts – that's Districts 1, 2, 4 and 11. We do not insult Caesar. We do not insult our stylists, prep team or mentors. I notice he doesn't include himself in that list, I suppose the idea of us insulting him would be preposterous. To be honest, the first fifteen minutes could have been skipped by just telling us not to insult anyone at all.

After this, we decide what our selling points will be. Mine is friendly and humble. I'm not sure how well this will go down in terms of winning the Games, but I suppose if people like me, that's got to give me some kind of advantage? Ace's angle is cold and ferocious. Not surprising. She'll be good at that. We then run through our interviews. Decimus tries us on every question he can think of. He tells us, proudly, that he's gone back and reviewed every question from the last fifteen games, and all of them are prepared to test us. I find this fairly easy. I'm very natural and presentable according to Decimus. Ace struggles more, and gets infuriated when Decimus tries to help her, in his unintentionally patronising way.

Decimus soon grows weary of teaching a lost cause, and turns on the screen. We sit and watch a few of the interviews that stand out.

'The interviews can make or break a tribute!' he tells us, over and over again.

The first he shows us is an average looking young guy, around fifteen or sixteen, from District 3. He speaks to Caesar in such a comical manner, that the audience are practically rolling in the isles within minutes. Anyone would think it was rehearsed, the timing is so perfect.

'This is Barney Haylock from the 30th Hunger Games.' Decimus tells us. 'Before this interview, his odds of winning were 32-1. After it, they'd rocketed up to odds of 7-1. Now, that's how an interview changes your odds!'

Decimus shows us a few more. Some are wonderful, others atrocious, showing us the full spectrum of what an interview can do. I'm suddenly alerted when I see Tyga on the screen. She's wearing a long flowing green dress, with a very low-cut neckline. It's amazing how young she looks – in just two years, the games have aged her so.

'Oh! I remember this!' I say. Decimus nods.

As I watch it, it all comes back to me. With her provocative answers, Tyga had made basically every man in the Capitol support her. Everyone remembered her last line. When Caesar says 'Well, this year's been swarmed with rumours of romance, and you're, of course, the centre of it all. We're all wondering who this lucky man is – care to enlighten us?', the audience leans in. Tyga giggles and lightly whispers, 'He knows who he is' and then she blows a kiss to the audience and winks at the camera. I remember that year – everyone had speculated who that person was, but she'd never revealed. Many thought that it could have been her District partner, but he died in the bloodbath, so it was never explored. Others thought it was the boy from District 6, but when she killed him on Day 7, these rumours died pretty quickly.

Decimus doesn't have time to show us anymore before our session with him is over. We return to meet Tobi and Tyga. A disgruntled Ace stays with Tyga. I've seen that Ace doesn't seem to respect Tyga all that much, but then I realise that actually there's only a year's age gap between the two. Perhaps that's why Ace doesn't listen to what she says – she doesn't think she has anything to teach her.

Tobi and I return to the room Decimus, Ace and I were in a minute ago, whilst Ace and Tyga stay put. I explain the angle Decimus suggested, and he nods approvingly. As this is the last time I'll get to speak to my mentor properly, Tobi gives me advice for when I'm in the arena. This is helpful, but it terrifies me and my stomach enters a rollercoaster of disruption.

'Okay, Connor. Listen to me. Now, I know you may think weapons are important. They are. But, trust me when I say that your main priority should be surviving in the wilderness. Find a source of water. Make sure the water is _drinkable_.'

'How do I know if it's drinkable?'

'Animals. There's a good chance some animals may be dangerous, but many won't be, and wherever you find animals, you'll find a way to survive. Animals need drinkable water and a food source to survive so they're probably not going to stray too far from these. But, survival in terms of food and shelter is key.'

And it's at this point that I decide I want Melissa on my team. If I have Melissa, I can survive in the wilderness. And if I can't survive in the wilderness, I can't survive – period.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So, Chapter 6 is up :) Let me know what you think in the reviews - if you've read this far, you must have a view on what you like/dislike about it, so I'd appreciate this if you let me know :) As always, enjoy!

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With my stomach in knots, a large amount of the information Tobi shares doesn't go in, but I try my hardest to make sure I get the keys facts. The hour sweeps by and before I know it, we're returning for lunch. We return to find Ace and Tyga sat at the table. Tyga's mouth sprouts a relieved smile, as she becomes aware of our presence.

I sit opposite Ace, and my plate has already been filled with a very colourful meal. Like everything in the Capitol, it tastes wonderful, but the lack of conversation keeps an air of awkward looming around the table. It is when Tyga and Tobi both conveniently leave for the bathroom at the same time that Ace speaks.

'Ugh. This is ridiculous.' She scowls at her plate.

'What? The food?'

'No – her!' she gestures to the door Tyga left through a few seconds ago. 'She can't teach me anything! She pretty much won her Games by fluke anyway. If that flood hadn't taken out most of the Careers, she'd be long gone and I might have actually gotten a proper mentor.'

In Tyga's year, the arena had been prone to tidal waves and floods. When there were just nine or ten tributes left, a huge wave had killed off all but two of the Career pack – including the favourite to win, leaving just six tributes remaining. This was pretty lucky for Tyga, but nonetheless, she won her Games out of skill, and why Ace is trying to deny this I can't understand. I'm about to retort, when Ace continues.

'You're lucky – your mentor knows what he's talking about. You might actually stand a chance at these games if he has anything to do with it.'

The door behind Ace opens and Tyga and Tobi walk in. Ace jams another mouthful in and sets her eyes on her food. The pair let a few minutes pass before they speak, in an attempt to not make the fact that they were talking about us the whole time they were "going to the bathroom" too obvious.

'Change of plan, guys' Tobi begins, 'We're gonna switch mentors after lunch. We feel that we each have different skills and advice to offer, and you would both benefit from hearing what we both have to say. So after lunch, I'll be taking Ace, and Connor, you'll have Tyga.'

His warm smile returns, and Tyga replicates it. A smirk, that only I take note of, appears on Ace's face. She got what she wanted then.

The meal finishes with an unbelievable desert, made of an airy pink substance with orange and red sauce. It's delicious, but I only manage half of it before my stomach makes silent pleas for me to stop. We leave the table, and Tyga leads me back to the room Tobi and I were in before lunch.

Before we are even properly sat down, Tyga starts talking. She seems more at ease talking to me one to one. She stares deep into my eyes, ensuring that my concentration doesn't slip.

'What's your plan for the arena?'

The blunt question startles me, and my brain doesn't focus.

'You enter the arena. You see the cornucopia. What's the plan?'

I force my brain into action and hesistantly speak.

'I don't know. I hadn't really worked out a plan. I guess I'd go and get some supplies. Wait, no-' I think this through. Going into the heart of the cornucopia would be a death wish for anyone who isn't a cold-blooded killer. 'No, I'd get out of there – find shelter.' I think this through. Then I wouldn't have any supplies. 'I don't know.' I say, exasperated at my lack of decision-making skills.

'Exactly. Not many tributes do. And those tributes die first.'

'Well, then what do I do?'

'You don't go into the heart of the cornucopia. A training score of 5 doesn't count you out by any means, but we need to be realistic. The people in the cornucopia are mostly going to be the Careers, and they're not in there for supplies – they're getting rid of some early competition.'

'But, don't I need supplies?'

'Yes. You do – absolutely. But right now your priority will be staying alive. Those supplies won't be of much use to you if you're not alive to use them. I'd suggest getting something from the outskirts. The cornucopia tends to be widely spread out. Obviously, all the good weapons are in the middle, but that doesn't mean you can't make use of some of the other things.' She leans in, with her fiery hair glistening in front of me. 'When you arrive on your podium, you'll have sixty seconds to survey the area. Pick something, and go for it.'

I nod my head. I need to ensure this information goes in. It's good information.

'Now, once you're out of the cornucopia – what's your aim?'

I know this one. 'Get out of people's view. Find shelter.'

Tyga gives me a nod, accompanied with a cold smile.

'There tends to be trees, and if there's not, there's usually some form of shelter – buildings, caves, that sort of thing.'

She takes her eyes of me for the first time, to acknowledge the woman in red who has laid a tray of snacks and drinks on the table. Tyga thanks her and the woman nods, before leaving. Tyga then pours herself a glass of wine.

'Now,' she speaks whilst still pouring. 'In terms of allies – You spoke about the girl from 8, so myself and Tobi have been in conversation with the team at 8, making them aware of the prospects of an alliance. So, should you team up, we may be able to pool resources to help you out.'

This ensures to me even more that teaming up with Melissa would be a good idea. I just hope she'll reciprocate, and that my training score hasn't put her off.

The next few hours consist of Tyga running through what I should do in any situation. We look at maps of old arenas, we see clips about tactics and survivals, we analyse the competition, and finally, I'm called out by Decimus, and taken to my prep team.

The first half an hour I spend with Fabius alone as he trims my hair into the perfect shape. I have no idea how this takes so long, but I think it seems longer due to the silences, occasionally interspersed with Fabius' gossipy rants about people I've never even heard of. I'd imagine him and Cassia get on well – they're both quite self-absorbed – although, Fabius seems more desirable company at this point.

After this, the two girls of my prep team – Pollia and Carvilia – come in and give me a full body wax. Occasionally, I let out a gritty growl when a load of my hairs are ripped out, but this signal of pain amuses Pollia quite a bit, and every time this happens, my reaction is followed by a high pitched squawk of a laugh. Carvilia seems more sensitive.

I'm relieved when Pollia and Fabius are sent out, leaving just Carvilia to apply make up to my face. In District 5, wearing makeup is not something that really happens, let alone for boys, so I have no experience with this, and the products feel odd and itchy on the my face.

Carvilia seems a lot more normal than the rest of my prep team. Her hair is full of blue and pink petals today, but she wears the normal white suit of the prep team. A bracelet adorns her wrist, with pieces of smoothed metal hanging from it.

'I like your bracelet', I say.

'Thank you.' She says. 'Someone from District 5 made it for me actually. We don't usually get to see the Districts, but we went on Tyga's victory tour. There was this one girl in your district who really liked our outfits and she made me this bracelet. I think it was probably meant for Cassia, but there's no way she'd wear anything handmade. She said she would've loved to be a fashion designer, and would love Panem to see something she made, like us. So, I keep it on, in the hopes that maybe – one day – I'll get some airtime and she'll see her bracelet on the screen.'

'That's lovely', I say. I can't see the bracelet anymore, because my eyes are closed as Carvilia does my eye makeup, but it surprises me that I also can't hear it – I would've thought it would jangle. When my eyes reopen, I notice that each of the metal segments of the bracelet have slotted together to form a ring of metal around the wrist.

From behind Carvilia, the door opens, and Tobi walks in, followed by a disgruntled Pollia.

'I'm sorry,' she crows from pursed lips, 'I did tell him you were busy.' She glares heavily made-up eyes at my mentor, who fails to notice/care.

Tobi smiles at me and speaks. I am relieved that he's chosen a point to walk in where I am still in my robe.

'The officials are asking for the tokens. Do you have anything you want to take in with you?'

I hadn't even thought about my token. I was rushed away from home so suddenly, I didn't take any time to get something to remind me of my District, and I guess now, I've missed my chance.

'I don't have anything from home.' I say, 'All I brought with me was the clothes I was wearing, and I think I left them on the train.'

We stand in silence for a minute – each of us trying to think of something that I could use. To my surprise, the quiet Carvilia breaks the silence.

'You could, if you want, use this?' she says softly, slipping off the metal bracelet we were talking about before Tobi walked in.

I look at her, in shock. 'I...couldn't.' I say. Not after that story she just told me.

'Its purpose was to get onto the screen. With you, that's a dead-cert.'

I don't reply.

'Well, the offer's there if you want it.' She places the bracelet in my palm, and wraps my fingers around it.

I hold it for a second, before turning to Tobi and passing it to him.

'I'd like this to be my token, please.'

He nods, takes it and leaves the room, followed by Pollia, who seems to have become bored after the token dilemma.

After they've left, Carvilia and I take part in a steady stream of conversation. She's the first person I've found in the Capitol who I can relate to, and actually have a genuine conversation with. She's quiet, but seems fascinated by my District. I tell her about my siblings, Tristan and Pura, and our house, and my time at school, and Tristan's job, and she seems genuinely interested.

Carvilia finishes doing my whole face make-up. She explains that the six-pack is not necessary this time, as I'll be wearing a suit. This is the only clue I have about my outfit until, an hour later I am dressed in it. It's a dark bottle green, with silvery green embellishment. The shirt underneath is this same silvery green. It looks quite dashing; perhaps not the colour I would have chosen, but I can see what Cassia means when she says it brings out my eyes. Pollia is adamant that I should have painted nails, but Cassia disagrees, so my nails remain natural.

I am then taken to where the interview will be taking place. Backstage, there is a waiting area, where all the tributes are waiting. Everyone looks sensational. I glance around for Melissa, but she finds me first. I jump when she touches me on the shoulder. I turn around to see her in a long yellow gown. Her hair is done up, and her light eye make up contrasts with her dark complexion. She looks beautiful, but she seems anxious.

'Hey', she says, but not in her usual bubbly way. 'Look, I know tomorrow we'll be in the arena and everything, and it's all a bit late but-' she bites her lip and fidgets. 'Would you want to be allies in the arena?'

I feel a smile spread across my face. I can't believe that someone would want me – _me_ – as an ally.

'Yes!' I say. She looks like a huge weight has just been let off her shoulders. 'I was going to ask you the same thing.'

Before she can reply, an announcer calls for us to line up. I stand in the line, positioned behind Ace, who wears a long fiery gown, and is heavily made-up (I'm sure she will have protested greatly about this). I can hear Caesar warming up the crowd and suddenly it dawns on me. I'm about to go in front of the whole of Panem, for an interview that could be the difference between life and death.

I can't do this.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, here's the new chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. But, please review. Please. I bite.

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'Well, let's get the interviews underway with one of the highest scoring tributes - Ladies and gentlemen, Bliss!'

I see the District 1 girl leave the front of the queue in a spiky white dress, her hair descending upon her back, and the crowd roar as she appears. She is all smiles – one hand on her hip, the other waving to the cheering audience. She shares a kiss with Caesar, who this year is dressed all in white, and then places herself on the couch.

My attention, having been briefly diverted, switches back to panic. I take deep breaths, and I can see in front of me, that Ace is tense. Before I know it, there's another cheer and Bliss leaves the stage and Chant enters. The moment she leaves the audience's view, the smile falls and she takes off her heels, before walking out the stage door behind us. I guess Decimus wasn't exaggerating when he said how fake some people can be in their interviews.

One by one, the tributes have their interviews. Chant is obnoxious, but charming. The male tribute from 2 has a huge presence – he seems to even somewhat intimidate Caesar. Frizz is quiet, but the one word answers are interspersed with sarcastic, witty remarks, that leave the audience chuckling.

Ace is called, and I move to the front of the line. She moves stiffly onto the stage, but waves and attempts at a smile. I watch her from the small backstage screen, silently wishing her well. To me, she makes no huge impression until the end.

'So, Ace,' Caesar leans in, 'Of course, I wouldn't ask you to reveal it, but have you got a plan for the Games?'

Ace smirks and replies, 'I'll do anything to win, because I _will_ be returning from the Games. I can assure you of that.'

Caesar turns back to the audience, and with an endearing smile addresses them.

'Well, how's that for confidence? Ladies and gentlemen, from District 5 – Ace!'

He gives her a two handed handshake and sends her off into the wing, and she walks past me. She doesn't wish me good luck – that's not her style – but she does give me a nod, and I can see that most of the tension she entered with has dispersed. I look forward to that happening to me.

I take one more deep breath in, and Caesar calls my name. Here goes!

'Now, staying with District 5, please give a warm welcome to Connor Jedd!'

The audience thunders with applause and I suddenly realise this is my cue to enter. I step onto the stage and look at the audience. A rainbow of enthusiasm claps for me, and I smile and wave. Caesar shakes my hand, and gestures to the giant red couch next to him, where I sit.

'So, Connor, welcome to the Capitol.' He says with proud enthusiasm.

'Thank you very much.' I reply with a smile, 'It truly is a beautiful place.'

Caesar's manner is very comforting, but the applause from the audience lets me know that I've done something right.

'Now, when you were first chosen as tribute, you were understandably quite shocked, yes?' Caesar says with a slightly more serious smile.

'Well,' I start, not sure how to respond, 'I suppose, you never really expect to be in this situation and obviously it's very sudden, so it's quite a mix of emotion.'

Have I answered that well? Better throw in another Capitol compliment, just in case.

'But, then, of course, you realise how much of an honour it is, and how few people from 5 would actually get a chance to visit the Capitol.'

I turn to the audience. A few of them are nodding their heads. By this point it's become apparent to me that, if I want these people to sponsor me, I'm going to have to indulge their ridiculous views. I turn back to Caesar, his white teeth gleaming at me as he mentally prepares his next question.

'Of course. Now, we just spoke to Ace, your District partner. What would you say your relationship is with her at this point?'

I hadn't expected this to come up. I bet Ace is watching on a screen somewhere, murderous eyes locked on the screen.

'Uh...' I race through the responses I could give. 'Well, you can tell from her score that she's got a good shot at the Games. I don't think either of us have any illusions about the situation that we're in, but we're both going to do as much as we can to ensure that District 5 will have a victor this year.'

He chuckles, 'Of course you are. Now, you scored a 5 in your training score.' He makes eye contact with me. 'Do you feel this is a genuine representation of your ability, or have you been-' He pauses. 'Hiding something?'

Hm. Probably wouldn't be brilliant to respond with 'No. I'm just pretty awful.'.

I decide to borrow a smirk from Ace, which I direct at the audience, and I lightly chuckle.

'No comment.'

I feel the audience's intrigue, and decide to leave it at that, as does Caesar, who stands up and faces the audience.

'Well, ladies and gentlemen, I wouldn't rule this guy out.' He turns to me. 'Best of luck tomorrow.' Back to the audience. 'Ladies and gentlemen, from District 5, Connor Jedd!'

He shakes my hand and I wave to the audience, trying to make eye contact with as many cameras as possible. I then leave the stage, my interview over.

I'm ushered down a corridor by one of the backstage team. He then leaves me in an elevator and instructs me that I can watch the remainder of the interviews in my district quarters with my team. The elevators in the Capitol are very powerful and only a few seconds pass between the doors closing on the industrial corridor and opening again onto the familiarity of Floor 5.

I step out onto the floor, and there is a group of people around the screen. Ace is there, and is in conversation with Tobi. Tyga and Decimus watch the screen. The stylists and prep teams will be in the audience, so we won't see them until the interviews are all finished.

It's a few seconds before I am noticed. Suddenly Decimus spots me and he leaps to his feet, a genuine grin set on his face. He hops over to me, arms outstretched, putting me on show.

'Here he is! The man of the hour!'

He gives me a huge hug, scents of the Capitol leaking onto my clothes.

'Your odds have rocketed!' He trails off into a throwaway note, 'Of course, there are still a good nine or ten people ahead of you, and the odds aren't confirmed yet at all...' The bubbly tone returns. 'But, you needed this! And you pulled it off!'

Another hug. Once he lets go, my clothes now wreaking of cotton candy and cinnamon fragrances, I make my way over to the couch to sit down.

'Good job' says Tobi, 'You guys have done us proud.'

The first interview I see is the girl from nine, so I've missed Melissa. The interviews pass by quickly, and the moment they finish, Decimus reads us out the post-interview odds.

'Okay,' he says, picking up a circular board from a nearby table. His fingers dart over it for a few seconds and then he begins to list our positions, starting from the beginning. 'D1M. D2M. D1F-'

He pauses, noting our confused expressions.

'Sorry. The District 1 male, District 2 male, District 1 female, District 11 female, District 2 female-'

So that's both from District 1 and 2, plus Rayne, the terrifying girl from eleven.

'And then we have Ace!' he chirps, delighted, 'Then, the District 4 male and female, the District 6 male – and then it's you, Connor!'

Well, tenth of twenty-four isn't too bad, I suppose.

'Where's Melissa?'

'I'm sorry?' Decimus looks at me, puzzled.

'Uh...D...D8F.'

'D8F? Oh, let me check...' He (I assume) scrolls down the page, 'Sixteenth.'

'Ahhh yes!' says Tobi, 'Your ally? We'll have to keep our eyes on her in the arena.'

This conversation doesn't go any further, as the prep teams enter from the elevator, a buzz of noise and colour. My team flock around me, and Surius and his team swarm to Ace.

Compliments shower me. A lot of them from Cassia are based on my appearance, so actually she's really just complimenting herself, but it's still nice to hear.

The complimenting session doesn't last long, as Tyga ushers them away after around ten minutes.

'Right. Tomorrow's the day' she says simply. No need to elaborate – we all know what she means. 'You'll need to get as much sleep as possible'

She walks over to the self-catering area and looks through a cupboard, before taking out a small box. Returning to us, she opens the box and pulls out two crescent shape tablets.

'Take one of these when you get into bed. They'll ensure a non-interrupted ten hour sleep, which, if you take them within the next twenty minutes, will give you all the sleep you need.'

We each take a tablet, and Tyga sends us off to our bedrooms. The mood is sombre, with not even Decimus smiling.

Once I arrive in my room, I promptly get into bed, turn off the light, and swallow the tablet. Within ten seconds, I'm asleep. When I wake up, the worst day of my life will begin.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I don't really bite. But, please do review. They mean a lot :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So, the Games finally get going in this one! It's a bit shorter than usual, but the action really starts here. As always, please review and enjoy!

In response to the Guest review, I really appreciate you pointing out the errors - it genuinely helps me for any future stories I may write. My reasoning for these mistakes is that, with 30 years between this story and The Hunger Games, there are some things that are bound to have changed.

* * *

The morning mood was sombre. Very little was said over breakfast – not even Decimus was that chirpy. Tyga had been crying again, this was obvious. We got dressed into our arena outfits – they were made of black material; a long-sleeved top and trousers. The only distinguishable feature were the '5's written on both shoulders, in a dulled crimson. We said goodbye to our mentors when we left. They both hugged each of us. Tobi said nothing, but Tyga wished me luck. Then, we were packed into a car with Decimus, who was wearing lime green today.

We arrived at an unlabelled building, and Decimus said fairwell, with two _very_ long hugs. His eyes were wet when the car door closed. I didn't realise he felt any form of empathy, so this was a surprise. Inside the building, Ace and I were separated, but before we parted, Ace offered a handshake which I accepted.

Whilst this was nice, I knew it meant that we were no longer team-mates, but competitors – _enemies_. I was led to a room, which was empty aside from a circular platform in the corner. Once I was in there, Cassia came in. She handed me the bracelet that was my token and I put it on. She passed on messages of luck and thanks from the prep team, and evaluated my outfit.

'It's not white, that's good' she said, 'You won't be in an arena with an abundance of snow or ice. The fabric isn't too thin though, so don't expect a desert. That's good.'

An intercom then instructed me to stand on the platform. When I did, a clear tube encased me. Through it, Cassia gave me a nod, which I returned. The platform then began to rise.

And now, the light blinds me as I rise into the arena. My eyes focus and it suddenly becomes real. The cornucopia. The tributes. The arena.

I'm in the Hunger Games.

'Ladies and gentlemen! Tributes! Let the 44th Annual Hunger Games Begin!'

The countdown begins.

60... 59... 58...

The cornucopia is in front of me. It's a massive metal horn, full to the brim with weapons and supplies. The items spill out towards the semi-circle of tributes, with the quality and usefulness lowering as they get closer to us.

51...50...49...

I look to see the other tributes. On my right is Frizz, and to my left is the District 6 male. I spot Melissa, but she's right over the other side, next to a focused Bliss. Ace is about four or five places to my left, her eyes locked on the cornucopia.

42...41...40...

I take a look around to review the arena. It's full of brown hues, with rocky mountainous areas all around us. There are loads of places to hide, and several exits from the Cornucopia, but it's a good twenty metres from the platforms before you'd have a chance to escape the range of arrows or throwing knives.

28...27...26...

I turn my attention back to the Cornucopia. Now I'm here, I know there's no way I'm going towards the centre. The look on Bliss' face assured me that if I went in there, the Careers would be out to kill. If I run, I reckon I could make it out before anyone had a chance to take me down, but then I'd be without supplies.

20...19...18...

Right, I need to make a decision. There are a few supplies near me – two bags (one big, one small), a pile of rope, a reel of wire and a packet of dried meat that's just a few steps away. Maybe I should head for that? No, that's too little – I'll need one of the bags.

11...10...9...

The ten seconds have started – what should I do?

8...7...6...

I'll go for one of the bags.

5...

Yes, that's what I'll do.

4...

How do I get to Melissa afterwards?

3...

Too late to be considering that now.

2...

Oh god, here it comes.

1...

The gong sounds.

The arena erupts into motion. The tributes shoot off their platforms and into the Cornucopia. I'm focused on my aim to get the bag, but I notice that Chant is the first to arrive in the horn. I run towards the bags, swiping the meat on the way. In a split second I decide, possibly foolishly, to aim for the slightly further away bigger bag. I'm running faster than I've ever run, but the chaos that has begun around me threatens my focus. I get to the bag, and swiftly hoist it onto my back.

Turning to run, I'm thrown to the ground. The District 7 boy is on top of me, psychotic eyes screaming into mine. A knife is wielded in his right hand, and he raises it above me. I suddenly realise he's going to kill me.

No. This can't be how it all ends. Not now.

I wince and await my death.


	9. Chapter 9

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter! For those of you who are either new to the story, or haven't realised it yet, I try to upload a new chapter every Monday. Woop-woop to my new reviewers and followers - I really appreciate your support. So, yeah - let me know what you think in the reviews and, as always, enjoy!

* * *

My eyes closed, I suddenly feel the body attacking me get thrown off. I risk opening my eyes. He is on his back next to me, clutching his arm, which has a knife jutting out of it, blood erupting around it. I turn to where the knife came from. Ace is standing around fifteen metres away from me, shouting at me.

'Get the bag!'

I suddenly regain focus, and reclaim the bag that has fallen off my back, along with the packet of dried meat, which I shove in my pocket. I jump up and fly off towards Ace, who is now retreating away from the Cornucopia at a lightning speed. I have to swerve to avoid Chant, who is hacking away at the District 10 girl with a sword. Vomit enters my throat, but I have to push it back down.

I reach the route away from the bloodbath that Ace took. I can see her and she's close now. I take a moment to look back towards the Cornucopia – something I immediately regret. It is a revolting view. Careers are attacking tributes all over. I can't see Melissa, but several tributes lie on the ground, a deep crimson colour. The dead eyes of the District 7 boy who attacked me stare into mine – the Careers must have finished him off – and despite the fact he tried to kill me, I can't help but feel an immense sadness of this future lost. At this point, I look away and follow Ace down the rocky path.

We continue running for at least fifteen minutes, neither of us risking stopping. I stumble along this brown path, as we swerve between mountains of rock. We eventually reach a huge structure. It looks like a castle, but the size is more like a village. It's made of stone and consists of several crumbling structures. Ace and I share a nod, confirming that we'll make camp here. We enter through a large hole in the castle wall. We climb several steps, and reach an empty room. The western wall is crumbling, and has a large hole in it, but it seems sturdy enough.

'We'll make camp here' says Ace. I don't argue. 'Let's see what's in that bag.'

Ace has a wooden bow and a quiver of arrows. I imagine she must have gone pretty far into the Cornucopia to get these. She takes the bag from me, and takes out the items, one by one.

'Tell you what; there better be a knife in here. You owe me one.'

She first takes out a towel. Then about a metre of thin rope. She chirps as she takes out a knife in a case and pockets it. A small flask which, gratefully, does have water in it. A tin of fruit, a small square mirror, bandages and, finally, a box of matches.

'Hm. Not bad.' says Ace, reviewing the items, 'Not a lot of food though.'

'Ooh!' I remember the packet of meat, and remove it from my pocket and put it with the items. It's bigger than it looked in the Cornucopia, which is relieving.

The rest of the day drags by, eventless. We just sit there, with little conversation emerging. Ace manages to find a small hole in the wall, allowing us to see the surrounding area without looking through the massive break in the stone. It views the maze-like courtyard of the castle area. Walls jut out from each direction – plenty of places to hide.

A cannon breaks the silence. This means the bloodbath is over, and we can become aware of the death toll so far. We count the shots. Eight. That's eight tributes dead. Eight futures lost. Eight children, siblings, friends. Gone.

Suddenly, we hear a noise from the stairwell. Before Ace or I can arm ourselves, a figure bursts through the doorway, and collapses on the floor. She looks up, her eyes meeting ours. It's the girl from District 7. Fear suddenly shoots in to her eyes, and she gets up to run, but collapses again. Dried blood coats a large gash on her leg. She again tries to struggle away, but her leg is putting up a protest.

'Stop' I say. I don't really think about it – it's just human compassion coming through. 'Come here. We have bandages.'

The girl freezes. She stares at us, eyes darting between Ace and I.

'Look, you can either stay there, or come here, but we have bandages and you don't.' I say.

I turn to Ace. She is reviewing the situation with a stern expression on her face. I turn back to the girl in the doorway, and she, after several seconds thinking about it, decides to hobble up and limp over to us.

I address her wound with no words exchanged during the process. She continues to eye me with extreme caution, but her muscles relax. It's dark by now – the sun setting synthetically quickly. Eventually – finally – she speaks.

'I'm Terra'

I smile, for the first time since entering the arena. 'Nice to meet you, Terra. I'm Connor.'

I look to Ace, but she is keeping watch on the courtyard through the gap in the wall.

'And this is Ace. She's not much of a talker.'

Terra eyes Ace suspiciously – I guess she remembers her high training score. Suddenly, the air is filled with noise. The Capitol anthem has begun, and light shines through the hole in the wall. We position ourselves on the far wall, which allows us to see the sky, but hides us from anywhere below the skyline.

The Capitol seal is riding high in the sky. We wait for it to finish, in agony. Who is already dead? Melissa? I shudder at the thought. The anthem ends, the seal fades away, and the fallen begin their parade across the sky.

The first face we see is the girl from 6. That means all the Careers, plus District 3 have survived. The boy from 6 follows. Next is the boy from 7. Terra's eyes fill with tears at the face of her District partner, and neither Ace nor I decide to mention his attempt on my life. I tense up, as I know the next face could be Melissa. It's the District 9 boy. I breathe a sigh of relief. Both Melissa and her District partner have survived and, I realise, so has the thirteen-year-old girl. Both from ten follow, and then the boy from eleven which means, unsurprisingly, that Rayne has survived. The final face to light up the sky is the girl from 12. The arena then falls into darkness.

Seconds pass before the heavens open, and a storm of rain welcomes the tributes to their first night in the arena. We are sheltered from this, but a large hole in the ceiling leaves the east wall soaked. Terra has her eyes locked on her shoes, as she mourns her lost district partner. Instead of helping her, I review the advantages and disadvantages of the rain. For certain, it means more water in the arena, but the need for cover will make the tributes search for shelter, and there's quite a lot of it in this castled area. We can expect company.

That night, we decide not to each much, to conserve our supplies. We are still fairly full from the Capitol's treats and figure that there are times to come where we'll be much more in need of this food. Because of this, we just pick at a small amount of the meat. It's not long before we try to get some sleep.

Ace agrees to stay on watch tonight, and will wake one of us up when she gets too tired. Sleep doesn't come easy to me – every sound makes me flinch, but eventually I give in to the fatigue and my eyes are drawn shut.

I'm awoken by the shot of a cannon. Another tribute is dead. My mind immediately starts running through all the possibilities. Melissa? Frizz? Chant? Bliss? I turn round to see if anyone knows. And then I see it.

Terra's dead eyes stare into mine. Dried crimson is draped over her dead body, honing in on one hole in her chest. In bewilderment, I look up for Ace. She is sitting there on the other side of the room. And in her hand is a knife. And that knife is coated in blood.

Terra's blood.


	10. Chapter 10

Woo! Chapter 10! The big 1-0! Double Digits! ...10! So, as always - review, follow, let me know what you think and, of course, enjoy! Btw, I'd love to know how you think this story is progressing - who do you think are gonna go far, who's the next to go etc. :)

* * *

'What have you done?!' I scream at Ace.

This probably isn't a good idea, as the arena's so quiet that someone might hear me, but I can't hold it in.

'What?' she says softly, puzzled.

'Wh-? You killed her!'

I feel sick, but Ace just seems confused at my reaction. I stare at her in disgust for ages, until she speaks.

'Well, it's clear you and I have different views on what you have to do to win these games. It's a battle to the death, Connor. To the _death_. If you can't accept that, then I guess we should part now.'

She stands up, and walks over to our supplies. Her bow is already on her back. She picks up the tin of fruit, some matches and a few bandages, and shoves them all into her pockets. Looking at me finally, she turns and walks towards the entrance.

Just before her frame exits from my view, she turns.

'Here.' She tosses me the bloody knife, which lands in front of me. 'You'll need it.' She pauses. 'Good luck.'

And then she turns and leaves, and I'm all on my own. All on my own in the Hunger Games.

I can't stay here. Terra's body will have to be removed, and that may involve the roof of the building being ripped off. I pack everything into the bag. I consider not taking the knife, as it's coated in Terra's blood, but now is not the time to be sentimental, so I keep it in hand. Light is seeping in through the cracks in the wall, illuminating the dust particles in the air. Ace must have kept watch all night, as it's dawn now.

I make my way delicately down the stone steps. My aim at this point is to find Melissa. Assuming I haven't missed a cannon, she's still alive somewhere in the arena, but the arena's huge, and scattered with bloodthirsty tributes – finding her won't be easy. I reach the bottom of the staircase, and arrive at a walkway, about two floors high. It is a sandy stone, like the rest of the ruins, and has crumbling walls lining the sides, but with no roof.

Suddenly, a huge crash from where I've just come startles me. I turn back, and see the hovercraft punch through the roof with its claw. It disappears into the rubble and when it reappears seconds later, it's grasping onto Terra's lifeless body, like she was a piece of used metal from District 5's scrap heap. A lump emerges in my throat, but my attention is suddenly drawn away from the hovercraft, when I hear shouts from the courtyard below.

I freeze, then slowly edge towards a tiny crack in the wall, large enough for me to peek out from. I place my eye next to the hole and at first I see nothing. As my hearing readjusts after the hovercraft, I can hear a voice. Chant's voice.

My blood suddenly turns cold. The Career's are near. If they find me, I'm finished.

'If a tribute's died, that means someone must have killed them. Which means there's someone here.'

'Not necessarily.' Teal's voice. 'What if it was starvation or something?'

'After one day? No.' Chant dismisses Teals comment. It sounds like he's taken the dominant role in the pack. 'Right, us four will go and scout the buildings; you and Garnet can manage the courtyard.'

With that, Teal and the District 4 male appear from round a corner. So, the boy's called Garnet? He looked significantly older in the interviews and training. Now I see him without any make-up, he can't be much older than about fourteen. He has curly dark auburn hair of medium length that curls up into a small quiff, and he's about my height. His hand grasps a trident. Teal has a bow in one hand, with a quiver full of silver arrows on her back. She also has a knife holstered on her hip.

'Right, let's split up.' Teal states. 'You – that way. I'll go this way.'

Garnet shoots her a murderous glare, but does as she says. The pair separate, and Garnet is lost from my vision. Teal pulls out an arrow from her quiver and equips her bow, ready to shoot if she needs.

She begins stealthily patrolling the area. I consider leaving my spot, and I'm just about to when I see another tribute – a non-Career. It's the girl from 9 – the thirteen year old. She makes a dash for it, but Teal has heard her. I begin to sweat, she's going to run straight into the District 2 girl. Teal has her arrow pointing straight ahead, making her way swiftly to a position where she will be able to see her next victim.

They both turn a corner, and suddenly they're stood less than two metres apart. I can't watch, but my eyes refuse to move from the scene. I wait for the cannon, but it doesn't come. They just stand there for a few seconds, before Teal lowers her bow.

In a husky tone that I can only just understand, I hear her say one word to the terrified girl.

'Go!'

The girl doesn't need to be told twice, and before Teal has a second to change her mind, the District 9 tribute is at the other side of the courtyard. Teal has already left the scene.

I can't believe she'd do that. She's a Career. She's trained to kill. That's what they do.

And suddenly I can't look again, because my eyes have reverted back to the girl, who has just rounded a corner. But, unknowing to her, behind that corner were the rest of the Careers. She runs straight into them, and this time my eyes give me the mercy of not looking, but that's of no help – the cannon has already told me what happened.

When I turn back to the scene, the girl is on the floor, and Chant stands above her, a bloodstained sword in his hand. I recognise it as the weapon he used to kill the District 10 girl in the bloodbath, and I wonder how many other victims it's claimed. The Careers are very well stocked – they each carry magnificent weapons, and Bliss and the District 2 male have large rucksacks that are presumably filled with supplies.

'We got her!' Chant shouts.

Teal and Garnet hear and soon return to the rest of their pack. Chant clearly has no fear of anyone else hearing him. Bliss looks down on the limp body of the girl.

'Hm.' she begins, turning her mouth up at the thirteen year old, 'Wouldn't have thought she'd have been able to lift a weapon, let alone kill someone.'

She turns on the spot. 'Lucky.'

The District 1 girl leaves, her dark hair flowing behind her, and the others follow, leaving the girl alone in her death. I decide to stay where I am temporarily, but when the hovercraft arrives to pick up the girl, I use the noise as a smokescreen for my escape and I'm soon in the rocks around the castle, with the stony barricade out of sight. I decide I need to find Melissa, so I start looking for an area with plants and wildlife as I'm sure she'd feel safer in an area where she knows she can find food.

I travel along mountainous paths for a while. I pass the Cornucopia, which is now an empty shell, and looking at it, you would have never guessed the horrors that it hosted yesterday. Shuddering, I move past it, and it's not long before the ground beneath me begins to turn grassy. The grass is long and untamed, and it scratches at my legs.

Soon, trees begin to appear, scattered at first, but a walk through a field soon turns into a walk through a forest, and the trees start to block out some of the light. There's a lot of movement in the forests – small animals scurrying, leaves blowing in the wind, but each sound makes me flinch. My knife is in my hand, and my grip tightens as I head deeper into the sea of trees. The ground beneath my feet is still really grassy, and each step makes a sound, keeping me on edge.

I take a pause to view my surroundings. The trees are birch, with silvery skin peeling away at their trunks. Birds flit from tree to tree, natural tones blending into the leaves. Earlier, we were treated to blue skies, but now a light grey is leaking into the sky, accompanied with a breeze. This is somewhat relieving after the long walk, as it's taken the temperature down slightly.

Suddenly, I feel the cold, sharp point of a weapon on the back of my neck, and a male tribute speaks, his voice dripping with venom.

'Move and you're dead.'


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys! Thanks for all you who are following, reviewing and favouriting - it really means a lot. A big lot. Anyway, as per usual, do all that stuff and, most importantly, enjoy! :D

* * *

I feel one bead of sweat carve an icy valley down my cheek and the arena suddenly falls silent. Whoever he is, he hasn't killed me. Although, this could be some kind of plan. Correction: he hasn't killed me _yet_.

I run through the surviving male tributes in my head. There's Chant, but I know it's not him. I haven't heard the district 2 male speak, but I'd imagine his voice has more maturity. Yet, Garnet's has less, so it's not him. In the moment, I can't think of any more. I'm sure there must be, but I can't think of any. I'm suddenly very swiftly brought back into the moment.

'Turn around.' The voice spits.

I don't move. If I'm going to die, I'd rather not see it.

'Turn around.' He says again, this time with more venom.

A plan begins to construct itself in my mind. It's probably a stupid plan, but it's all I can think of. By the time he speaks again, I'm ready.

'Turn around!'

I throw my arm behind me as I spin. I feel my hand hit a wooden pole and the tribute's spear flies out of his hand. The boy in front of me is about sixteen, with dark skin and short hair. His eyes ripple with a mix of fear and anger. He grips onto me and I tackle him to the ground. With a spare hand, I ready my knife.

Before I can use it, he flips me onto my back. He's now on top of me, and I start jabbing my knife into his arm. I get a brief hit which makes him flinch backwards, drawing blood, but soon my knife has been flicked out of my hand. As we roll around in the grass, exchanging hits – the majority of which miss, he manages to regain his spear. Suddenly it's above me, and it's about to go into my shoulder, when a voice halts the boy's actions.

'Cam! Stop!'

The spear rests against my shoulder, the point jabbing the muscle. The boy's eyes stay locked with mine, but his body remains still.

'That's him! The boy from 5! Connor!'

I suddenly recognise the voice as that of Melissa.

'Melissa?' I stutter, gasping.

The point moves away from my shoulder and the boy gets up. The spear is still pointed at me with suspicion, though. Melissa runs into my view, and holds out her hand. I take it, smearing blood over her hand through a cut that is only just beginning to hurt as the adrenalin drains away slightly. I wobble up, and gain my balance. I then feel a hard hand slap across my face.

'Where the hell were you?!' Melissa shrieks. 'You said we had an alliance!'

She then regains her composure, picking up my knife and passing it to me.

'Right, now that's out of the way, let's get out of here. We've been making a fair bit of sound and if there's anyone around, they'll be hunting us down.'

We then leave together. With Melissa leading the way, an annoyingly content smirk on her face, and Cam behind me, armed with his spear, I feel somewhat like a prisoner. Since our fight, I've noticed the '8' on the side of Cam's jacket, meaning he's Melissa's District partner. It's unsurprising they made an alliance – I know I would have stayed with Ace, given the chance.

It's a good twenty minutes before we reach their camp, but I have a feeling they may have made a diversion to keep any other tributes off their scent. Their camp isn't much to look at, but it's fairly well located, given the options available. There is a large 'U' shaped rock, and the hub of their camp is located within this 'U'. At first I can see very little sign of life here, but as we get closer, I see a rucksack and a sleeping bag huddled in the shadows of the rock. The rest of the area is densely surrounded by trees, with the occasional rock between them.

'So, here it is.' Melissa says.

'Welcome to our little patch of heaven.' Cam says dryly.

'So, what's in the bag?' Melissa asks, eyeing the rucksack on my back.

'A flask, some bandages, some matches. Plus a few other little bits. Oh, and some dried meat.'

They both perk up at this.

'Meat?' Cam questions.

'Thank god!' Melissa says with relief. 'We've been living off edible plants for the last day.'

'There's not that much.' I warn. 'But it should do us for today at least. So what've you got?'

'Well, I didn't get anything in the Cornucopia, but Cam got a thing or two.' Melissa starts, 'A sleeping bag, his spear, and a bunch of other bits. No food though.'

I get out the meat, and we sit down to eat. We leave half of it for this evening, but the chunks we do have are so tasty that it leaves me wanting more instantly, and the idea of not eating for hours just makes me more hungry. We eat in silence, enjoying the basic flavours of the meat, but once we're done, Melissa breaks the silence.

'So, where's Blondie? Last I saw, you were dashing off with her.' Melissa asks, as she picks at the last of her meat portion.

'I was with her the first night, but we-' I choose my words carefully. '-had a difference of opinion.'

'She tried to kill you?' Cam suggests.

'She tried to kill an ally of yours?' Melissa inputs.

'Something like that.' I reply. I'd rather not go into this and, luckily for me, Melissa takes the hint.

The rest of the day does not consist of much. With our primary aim being not dying, there's not much room for any fun. Melissa and I go out hunting, but are unsuccessful. She does pick up a fair few plants though, some of which I remember from the Edible Plants counter in training. We get Cam's injured arm bandaged up, after I stabbed it earlier, with me murmuring unconfident apologies. The sun is hastily setting when we hear the cannon.

Melissa pays it little interest. 'Maybe the Careers decided one of their pack was unnecessary. I hope it was Bliss. Seriously, who names their kid Bliss anyway?'

'Unlikely' says Cam, 'It's probably one of the others. One of the District 3 pair maybe.'

'That's the third cannon today.' Melissa points out, 'Those Careers are really ploughing through the rest of the tributes. I wonder who they were.'

'Terra and the girl from 9' I say.

'Terra?' asks Melissa.

'Sorry, the girl from 7.'

Melissa doesn't reply, but I sense she's analysing this. After a pause I speak again.

'Do you think it's gonna rain tonight?' I ask, in an attempt to change the subject.

'It better not!' says Cam, sharpening his spear, 'We got soaked last night.'

'Speaking of which,' Melissa starts, 'It'd be a good idea to get some kind of shelter up, because if something like the rain is going to make out nights uncomfortable, then you can pretty much guarantee the Capitol have got it planned.'

With the darkness hastily swarming around us, we whip up a very basic shelter. Using a spool of thread from Cam's bag, Melissa uses her District 8 skills to sew my towel and a metre squared piece of fabric they have together. Whilst she's doing this, Cam and I gather branches which, upon our return, are fixed to the corners of the towel-fabric mix to create a small roof of sorts. It's not much, but it should be able to keep most of the rain off us. By the time we've finished, the arena is in full darkness – the shining moon being the only light source.

We ration our supplies across the two bags, the logic being that if we lose one, we still have some supplies left. Then, we cram under the shelter. It's snug to say the least. Melissa is in the sleeping bag. Cam and her decided this at some point today, as Cam would rather be able to move swiftly if needs be, whereas she valued warmth more. I didn't really get a look in. The shelter proves to be a good idea as the rain is spitting when we get in. It's about ten minutes before we poke our heads out of the shelter to witness the Capitol seal illuminate the arena.

The anthem booms, its fanfare oh so familiar after all the Games we've witnessed on television. The first face appears in the sky. It's Terra. Her face brings back horrible memories as I remember the eyes, swimming with life in the dark of tonight, that stared into mine this morning, cold and dead. Melissa curses at the survival of all the Careers. The next face is the innocent thirteen year old, who is then followed by the boy from 12.

Nobody says a thing as we return to the cover of the shelter. But, the silence is short lived as a booming voice breaks the silence.

'Tributes!' calls the echoing voice of Claudius Templesmith, 'Congratulations on making it thus far! Now, many of you may not be aware of this, but today is a _monumental_ day!' His voice is dripping with drama, 'And the reason why this is such a monumental day? Well, tributes, viewers, today we have witnessed the sacrifice of the 1000th tribute in the arena! What an honour it has been to witness so many brave tributes represent their Districts, so tonight we honour these tributes' courage, loyalty and sacrifice. Ladies and gentlemen – tributes – let the fireworks begin!'

For a second, the arena falls quiet. The only noise being the rain, which is now building in power, and the pounding hearts of the tributes who look on in fear.

Then the bombing starts.


	12. Chapter 12

Woo! 20k words - and counting! Anyways, I think this is my favourite chapter so far, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to all my reviewers, followers and favourite-ers (?) - and also shout out to the random cluster of Dutch readers I got this week! Anyways, as per usual, be sure to review and, of course, enjoy! :)

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The arena lights up with explosions and suddenly we're running. We grabbed the bags and fled as the forest behind us burnt from a nearby explosion.

The bombs are huge hunks of rock, with the largest ones exploding when they hit the ground. As they fly, neon sparks fly in a stream behind them, lighting up the sky with a macabre rainbow. They seem to vary in size, with some being a couple of inches wide, and others being nearly three metres in diameter.

An explosion beside us throws us all to our feet but we're up again in no time. None of us are quite sure where we're running to – we're just trying to avoid the bombs. Cam's in front and Melissa is in line with me. The forest is alight now, so we scramble for any exit we can find. The rain is beating down on us, but it's having little to no effect on the flames that dance around our path.

'Come on!' I hear Cam scream, 'I can see the edge of the for-'

His voice is cut off by a bomb that swallows up any sound he makes. However, I guess that he was talking about seeing the edge of the forest, so I speed up, chasing after him. We reach the edge of the forest and sprint out into the open, the rocky ground bruised with black where the bombs have hit. Amongst the uproar, I manage to hear a cannon – their volume's clearly been turned up. So, the bombs have claimed their first victim.

'Where are we going?!' I hear a voice in the distance yell.

'We need to find shelter! A cave!' the female voice replies.

I look to my side and see the speakers reveal themselves from the forest, about a hundred metres away. It's the district 3 pair, with Frizz leading the front. Like us, they are dashing across the ground, hopping around smoking rocks. A huge bomb lands between us, blocking them from my sight, and my focus returns to where I'm running. Cam is now some distance in front, and Melissa is just behind me.

'Look!' Frizz screams to her district partner, 'Over there!'

She's pointing to a cave. It's closer to us than them, and I debate if it's worth both groups trying for the same shelter. I turn back to the pair from 3. They've changed direction and are heading straight for the cave now. With no warning, a flaming rock, over two metres wide, engulfs the pair in smoke. Seconds later, the familiar cannon booms.

In the dark of the night, the explosions illuminate the arena. Rocks crumble from the mountains, turning the simple paths into treacherous hazards. The sky is now blazed in neon colours – it must be quite a show for the Capitol. I bet they're loving this one. _The highlight of the year_, they'll say, sipping some multicoloured cocktail from the comfort of their plush living room, whilst we die for their entertainment.

I hear a scream from behind, and turn to see Melissa writhing on the floor. Immediately, I'm running to her. When I reach her, seconds later, I see her leg smoking, as the skin sizzles a deep red. To prevent the screams and numb the pain, she's biting her lip so hard; a little blood is being drawn.

'One of the small ones hit me!' she shrieks, before returning to biting her lower lip.

'Cam!' I scream.

He's still running into the distance.

'CAM!' I scream louder.

Still, he keeps running – the bombs are making it impossible for him to hear me.

'CA-'

I'm stopped in my tracks as the area where Cam was is now replaced with a smoking flaming hole, as a massive bomb hits him. The cannon that follows captions the horror I've just seen.

This is the last straw for Melissa, and it all comes flowing out. She screams, and screams. It's heart-breaking and terrifying, but I can't get distracted now.

'Melissa, I need you to listen to me.' She stops momentarily, pushing down the pain and the loss, 'There's a cave over there, and if we're going to survive, we need to get there.'

Tears streaming out of bloodshot eyes, she nods.

'Right, can you walk?' I ask.

I help her to her feet. Her legs are shaking so much, she'd barely be able to stand without the injury, but the second she puts any pressure on her injured leg, she just collapses to the ground, in a howling heap. I'm going to have to carry her, but there's no way I'll be able to manage both the bag and Melissa. There's a horrible half-second where the idea of leaving Melissa and running with the bag appears in my mind, but I hastily shoot past that. Instead, I take off the bag and leave it on the ground.

I help the wailing girl that is Melissa onto my back. She's fairly heavy, being taller than me anyway with the added dead weight of her leg. A bomb hits nearby, throwing shards of rock into my face, but I use that as my cue to get moving. I stumble along, Melissa's blood coating the arm of mine that holds onto it.

Within two minutes, we're safely at the cave. As gently as I can (which isn't very gently), I place Melissa on a flat stone a few metres in. I breathe a sigh of relief. We're safe in here. It's really dark, but we _should_ be safe. If the Capitol has its viewers entertained for the night, that is.

My attention turns to Melissa's leg. We need to get that bandaged up. If that leg keeps on bleeding, she's not going to last five minu-

It suddenly hits me.

'The bandages are still in the bag!'

'I'll be okay,' Melissa hisses through gritted teeth, 'I'll be o-'

She doesn't finish the sentence, too intent on holding in a cry of pain, that's muffled through a closed mouth.

'No you won't.' I state the obvious.

I have to go out and get the bag. It's my only option. With a quick look back at Melissa, I charge out into the deadly storm. The colourful smoke from the bombs is starting to create a blurry haze along the rocky ground, but it has the mercy to leave a visible path from me to the bag. It's not too far away, and I bolt towards it.

When I reach it, I hoist it straight up onto my back. I start running back, but all of a sudden, the Capitol notices me, and a wall of asteroids chases me back to the cave. The burning rocks create craters behind me, and shards of rock and ash coat my back, like some deadly hailstorm. A rock just misses my ankle, causing me to trip. Before I hit the ground, however, I regain my balance, reaching the entrance to the cave.

Just before reaching the cover of the cave, a small hunk of rock, a few inches wide, shoots into my bag, leaving a cloud of pink smoke in its wake. My back remains protected thanks to the bag, but the force hurls me into the cave, and I skid across the ground on my chest.

I get up, my hands stinging with grazes, and for the first time, I take in my surroundings. The cave is deep enough to protect both Melissa and I from any of the deadly rocks that rain from the sky, but it provides a clear view of the horror outside. The arena is now full of rainbow smoke, which has blurred into an unpleasant brown-green colour. It mostly floats around the ground, allowing us to look out onto the rest of the arena. In the distance, I can see the twisted black corpses of trees crumble as the forest burns. The rocky terrain that leads out from the cave is dotted with craters where the biggest bombs hit. Every now and then, another crater appears as the meteors continue to cripple the landscape.

With my attention turning back to Melissa, I remove the bag from my back. The rock that hit me is smoking a few metres further into the cave. As I open the bag, I notice the back of it has been blackened by the impact from the rock. The fabric is sturdy, and is intact, but the blast has thinned it, and from now on, we should be careful about the amount of pressure we put on it. I reach inside. The contents have been warmed from the hit, but I remove the bandages the second I see them, and kneel down to Melissa.

Within a few minutes we get it bandaged up, but it's obvious that this is not going to sort the problem. If Melissa's going to be of any use in the arena, we'd better hope that our mentors can get her some medicine. With Melissa temporarily treated, I decide to see what our bag holds. I am so thankful that we decided to split our resources into two bags, because otherwise the bomb that killed Cam would have taken all our supplies with him. First I pull out a knife, which I am thoroughly relieved we have. Then, a flask that Cam got from the Cornucopia. I shake it, and find it's half full of water. The rest of the bag contains some matches, a length of rope and a collection of edible plants Melissa gathered.

With the pain eased through lack of movement, Melissa mourns Cam. With her eyes closed, she whispers some words to herself, and touches her heart. When her eyes reopen, they look to me.

'It's a tradition in District 8. They'll host a memorial for him tomorrow. I remember being at the memorial for the tributes last year. They both died on the same day. I remember sitting there with all the other families and thinking how at least it wasn't me or my sister.' She looks to the smoking arena. 'Funny how things turn out, huh?'

'Did you know him...before you were reaped?' I tread lightly.

'Cam? Not really. His brother was in the same class as my sister, so we saw each other at school once or twice, but that was it really. Shame, he would've been a good person to know. Y'know, he saved my life in here – in this stupid arena.'

A tear drips down her cheek, but she wipes it away with her arm. Suddenly, we notice the arena falls quiet, and we look to the skies. The bombing has stopped. We wait in silence for a minute, somewhat expecting the voice of Claudius Templesmith to announce that the bombing was just the warm-up, but the arena remains quiet.

Then, pulling my sleeves over my hands, I pick up the rock that hit me, which has now finished smoking, but is still very warm. I empty the contents of the bag, and place the rock within it, before moving the bag to where Melissa lies. I then lay the other side of it. With no sleeping bag, this is our only means of keeping ourselves warm, and it proves effective, as we brace ourselves for another night in the arena.

'Good night, Melissa' I whisper, wrapping herself up tight.

Her eyes are closed, but I see her attempt a smile.

'Good night, Connor.'


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys! So, this one's more of a filler chapter, but nonetheless, let me know what you think! :D By the way, next Monday, I'm unlikely to be able to upload a chapter, so apologies for that, but I hope you'll review to let me know what you think is going to happen, and whether you like it. And of course, enjoy!

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Today, I am not awoken by a cannon shot – a somewhat pleasant change. However, this is not to say my night's sleep was pleasant. It was a good hour before I managed to fall asleep – every noise startled me, and once I was sleeping, gory nightmares haunted me as, in my head, I re-watched every death I'd witnessed so far. The night's sleep was not comfortable – the rock has no longer sustained any heat, and the ground has left my back stiff.

However, I find I am not shivering. The temperature is significantly warmer than it has been the last two days. When I open my eyes, I see Melissa is still asleep, a metre or so away. Sitting up, I scan the cave and notice something that was not there last night.

Near the entrance of the cave, is a parachute.

As the first parachute I've seen, this comes as such a relief. I pray the mentors have listened to our pleas and given us some medicine for Melissa. I move over to it, and pick it up. With a twist, the metal case opens, revealing a pot. I open this and am overjoyed to find a white paste in it. Surely, this is the medicine Melissa needs – I beam as I wake up Melissa. I feel bad about doing this, but I don't know how long she can go without it.

'Melissa' I hiss.

Her elbow swings into contact with my cheek, and I am flung onto my back. When I look up, cradling my bruised cheek, she's upright, eyes darting around the room, before she sees me, and the tension in her body eases.

'Oh.' She sees my cheek. 'Sorry. My bad.'

I suppose I can't be too annoyed that she's a little on edge. We are, after all, in a fight to the death. I scoop myself up and hand her the pot of medicine.

'Looks like someone thinks we have a shot at winning.' I say, passing it to her.

Her face lights up. We remove the bandages to reveal the horrific sight of Melissa's leg. It's scabbing over poorly, and is currently a patchwork of bloody shades. We get the paste on it, and leave it exposed. I hear my stomach rumble, and take this as our cue for breakfast. We decided yesterday, with Cam, that we'd go without lunch for as long as we could – sticking to two meals a day to conserve our food. This is sensible, but I sense my stomach will protest come lunchtime. District 5 is slightly richer than Melissa's District, so unsurprisingly, this wasn't a big deal for her, as she regularly misses lunch anyway.

We eat half of the edible plants Melissa found. They taste nice, but aren't particularly satisfying. The small amount of meat we had left went with Cam. We drink most of the water we have left (which isn't much), leaving just a small amount for emergencies. Melissa protests when I suggest I leave to search for water, but the lack of fluid is becoming an issue, so I decide to go water hunting despite her opinion.

My hunt for water is unsuccessful. The bombs have left the ground bone dry, and the forest is now a blackened graveyard. I search for a while and as I become desperate I travel further than perhaps I should do. However, at no point do I knowingly come across any other tributes. This gets me thinking about how many there are left. Three cannons went off last night – Cam, one of the District 3 pair, and one other. This means that there should be ten of us left. Not long before they'll start interviewing our families. Along my journey, I get a glimpse of the remains of the castle ruins. If they weren't ruins before, they certainly are now, as the bombs have reduced it to a pile of rubble. Eventually I return to Melissa, have failed in this mission.

The gift from our sponsors has worked a miracle on Melissa's leg. When I return, she is pacing around the cave. As agreed, we don't have lunch, and my stomach feels empty for the rest of the afternoon.

'What do you think we should do with this thing?' She gestures to the rock we'd been using for heat.

'Not much point keeping it now, I guess.'

'Yeah, that's what I was thinking.'

She picks up the rock, and is walking over to pass it to me, when she suddenly stops.

'Hey, Connor' she begins, eyeing the rock, 'Look at this.'

I walk over to her, and join her in examining the rock. I quickly notice what she's spotted. On the bottom of the rock, in dark crimson lettering, there is a '4', about two inches tall. She passes me the rock, which is heavy, and I examine it for a good few minutes, to no avail.

'Maybe we don't throw it out yet.' I say, and we place it back in the cave.

By late afternoon, we have decided that we need water. Melissa's leg has already become healed enough for her to walk well. Running may be painful, but we're not planning on getting into any encounters, as we leave in search of water. We leave the rock in the cave, as we plan on returning, but I hoist the now rather empty bag onto my back, as we leave the safety of the mountain.

We travel along a rocky path, making sure to stay close to high rocks for cover in case we see another tribute. However, we eventually decide that we're not going to find any water here, so we risk going into the remains of the woods. The ground below us is coated in ash, and scattered with now-harmless rocks as we walk between the spiralling corpses of the trees.

In terms of hiding, there are many black fallen trees that would provide a great form of cover, and Melissa has the clever idea of smearing ash over us to blend in with the trees more. When we suddenly come across another tribute, I am glad Melissa had this idea.

Not yet being aware who it is, we silently duck under a fallen tree. The other tribute is a girl, and is some distance away – she clearly hasn't noticed us. Melissa taps me on the shoulder, and points to a rock on the ground. The number '11' is written on it, in the same maroon lettering. My attention turns back to the girl, who I realise is Frizz – the district 3 girl, which means it was her district partner who was killed in the blast, and not her.

Sensing that she is safe, she kneels to the ground, where many of the dead bombs lay. She picks one up, around a foot wide, and plays with it in her hand, viewing every edge, before silently placing it back on the ground. She then picks up another and does the same. After doing this strange activity a few more times, she eventually starts scanning the rocks on the floor. What is she doing? Eventually, she does a little jump as she spots what she wants. Stepping over the rocks on the floor, she picks up one, about two metres away. But, as she picks it up, the strangest thing happens.

The rock seems to melt away, leaving a metallic ball in her hand. My mouth is wide open – I can't understand what I've just witnessed. So, the bombs have something inside them? A ball? She then lifts off the top of the sphere – a lid of some kind – and proceeds to hold it up to her lip, and swallow the contents.

'Water' I whisper to Melissa, 'They've got water in them.'

We watch Frizz for a while before she eventually leaves our view and, like her, we start searching the ground. Having no idea what was special about the rock she chose, we start picking up random ones. The first one I pick up has a crimson '6' written on it, whilst Melissa's has a '5'. Nothing happens, so we return them to the ground and continue searching. I pick up a 12. Nothing happens. Melissa picks up a 10. Nothing. I pick up a 2. Nothing.

By this point, we are fairly out in the open, as the disused bombs are scattered throughout the twisted black trees and blackened rocks. If we didn't have any other option, I'm sure we would've given up by now. I pick up one with another '2' written on it, and start smashing it on the ground to no avail. Melissa searches a '5' all around for some form of button or lock, but like me, she has no success.

Melissa's leg begins to hurt, so she takes a break, resting up against a fallen tree trunk. I decide to gather rocks, and bring them over for her to examine. Picking up a 3, an 8 and a 9, I carry them over to Melissa, and then return to searching. This is beginning to get tedious – it feels like we're never going to find the key to unlocking these, when I suddenly hear a yelp from behind.

I turn to see Melissa, looking at her hands, where the rock she is holding slowly begins to melt. The black exterior crawls off the shell and the District 8 girl is left with a metallic orb in her hands. I scramble over to her.

'It's our Districts!' she says, 'That had an 8 on it.'

On top of the sphere there is a little indent, which can be used to lift the lid open. Melissa flips the lid open, and immediately takes it to her lips, gulping it down, before passing it to me and letting me do the same. Now we know what we're looking for, we search for more. I spot a 5 and pack it into our bag, but that is all we find, despite having seen another 5 earlier. We head back to the cave.

We've spent longer than we realised, and as we arrive back at the cave, the sun is beginning to set. Being part of the synthetic arena, the sunset is over in a few minutes, leaving the arena dark. Settling down, we await the parade of the fallen before allowing us to sleep. The Capitol anthem booms, and we await to see our faces. As the anthem ends, the first face appears.

The District 3 boy stares into the arena as the first victim of the bombs. He is followed by the freckled face of the girl from District 4 – the first Career to die in the arena. We all know who comes next, but to my surprise, Melissa looks Cam in the eye as he appears in the sky. Her face is cold and dark, and her eyes are buried in shadows.

With cold souls, we fall asleep, and I reluctantly welcome the nightmares that follow.


	14. Chapter 14

Hiya guys! Sorry for the lack of chapter last week, but to make up for that, if I can get three more reviews by Tuesday Evening (UK time - which I think is Tuesday morning for USA), I'll upload the next chapter then :D Anyways, there's a slight time gap between this chapter and the last one - I hope it works, but if it does/doesn't be sure to let me know in a review. Anyway - enjoy!

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Day six in the arena. It's been nearly a week since we entered this hellhole. Melissa and I are still staying in the cave, but we've decided that today it is time to move somewhere else. The area's been too quiet and it can't be long before the Careers show up. There haven't been any deaths since the bombing, leaving the Careers making up half of the surviving tributes. It also means that, unless something happens soon, the Capitol's going to get bored. And we all know what happens when the Capitol gets bored.

Our health is beginning to deteriorate too. Whilst the rocks have provided us with all the water we've needed, we haven't eaten in over a day. This has left our energy low, and we've spent the majority of the last three days moping around the cave, with brief searches for food. The need for food was a factor in our decision to move, as I find it hard to believe that there would be no remaining food in the arena.

This morning, there's a light fog floating around the arena and the sky is a blanket of white cloud. Recently, the nights have been getting colder and colder – unpleasantly so – and we've been waking up shivering. Last night, we reluctantly lit a small fire to keep us warm, but it was less than pleasant, as the paranoia that the other tributes would spot it dominated over the enjoyment. It doesn't take long to pack up the small supplies we have, and within a few minutes we're ready to leave.

Melissa carries the bag on her back, as she is suffering less from the malnutrition, being used to a smaller intake of food in District 8. I arm myself with the knife, our only weapon, as we walk. Deciding to go in the opposite direction to the woods, we travel across more rocky ground. Neither of us has explored this part of the arena, so we tread carefully, conscious of our surroundings.

After well over an hour, the rocky ground beneath us eventually starts to fade away, and the rocks clear to show us the land in front of us. Before us, we see the remains of another forest. Whilst it is still blackened and desperate, the canopy appears to have been thick enough to hold off the worst of the bombing. As we near it, we can even see traces of green underneath the huge trees. Of course, some areas reflect the forest that we've become familiar with over the last few days, with knotted ashen trees and dead ground, but we enter into a part of the forest where our footsteps meet the soft padding of moss.

Melissa immediately starts searching the scorched plants that scatter the floor for something edible. She goes from plant to plant, sometimes snapping the roots and examining the insides, but has no success. I start to help, but I have no idea what I'm looking for. However, I do manage to spot a vine with spiky leaves spiralling up a tree, which I recognise as Rootwad. I remember tasting this in the Edible Plants section of training. I'm relieved that _finally_ something I did in training is helping me.

'Melissa,' I hiss, keeping my voice down, 'Rootwad!'

She turns and her eyes light up. She tosses the crispy stems she was holding, and comes over to me. Using my knife, she expertly strips the vine of its sharp leaves, and chops off two sections – one for me and one for her. Placing the rest of the vine, which is over a metre in length, in our bag, we begin our small meal.

I don't know if it's because I haven't eaten in ages, but the plant tastes delicious, and I could happily swallow several more helpings. After the brief interval of this meal, Melissa returns back to her search, and I continue to search the nearby area for Rootwad. We continue along the path, scanning the area for food. Melissa finds one or two plants, which we stuff into our bag.

Suddenly, we both freeze, as we hear a shout. Melissa's hand clasps around my mouth as she pulls me to the edge of the path, and points through a tiny gap between two burnt trees. And there they are. The Careers.

'Shut up, Garnet!' hisses Chant, 'Do you want everyone to know we're here!?'

For us to move now would be suicide. The Careers are now super alert, in case Garnet's shout attracted any attention. We remain still, and sweat trickles down my cheek.

'Who cares if anyone knows we're here?' Garnet replies, making no effort to lower his tone, 'There's not a single tribute who can match us!'

'Garnet, shut up.'

Bliss pays him no attention as she speaks, she's busy braiding her hair – the only Career who appears to be not completely alert – but she does mutter 'stupid kid' under her breath. The Careers look physically weaker than before. Most of them, with the exception of Teal, have reddened cheeks and dried, cracked lips. However, they clearly have been favoured by the sponsors, with weapons scattered all over. Garnet's trident lies against the tree next to him, whilst Teal has a shield strapped across her back, as she toys with a throwing knife, and Bliss is adorned with a bow and quiver full of arrows – a weapon I recognise as formerly being Teal's. A various array of clubs, swords and knives are piled on the floor too, next to two large rucksacks.

'Relax,' says Teal, stepping to her feet, 'He's just in a mood 'cause his _girlfriend_ got killed in that explosion.'

She smiles cruelly at Garnet, who explodes in rage, showing his young age.

'She was _not_ my girlfriend!' he spits, 'I couldn't care less that she's dead anyway! Stupid girl didn't know how to dodge a stupid bomb – she deserved to die!'

It sickens me how Garnet can talk about his district partner like this. Whilst it's a horrible thought, I can't help hoping that he's the next to die. In fact, if I had a slingshot, I'd quite happily fire at him now. To my dismay, he continues.

'Besides, _Teal_, it's not my fault that you can't deal with killing other tributes!' He turns on the District 2 tribute. 'Just 'cause you couldn't kill that District 9 girl!'

I remember back to when Teal let the thirteen year old girl from 9 run. It had confused me so much, and I didn't even know Garnet saw.

'What?' Teal says, evident shock on her face. I can see her locking eyes with Garnet, slowly shaking her head – warning him not to continue the story, but he doesn't listen.

'Yeah, I saw you! Running into that girl and telling her to go.'

'What?' Chant, as the leader of the group, is now speaking through gritted teeth.

Looking around, I see the other Careers have got to their feet. Bliss has her bow at the ready, in case this argument attracts unwanted attention.

'She thought I couldn't see her, but I could. She just let that girl go, because little Teal was too _nice_ to kill a little girl,' Garnet mocks, 'Oh, little girl – run free – don't tell the others! Because that's what Teal is – just a useless, good-for-nothing little bi-'

Garnet erupts in a cry as Teal's knife flies into his right shoulder.

Immediately, Bliss' bow is equipped with an arrow which, in no time at all, is flying towards Teal. She swiftly spins around, causing the arrow to lodge itself into the shield covering her back, and in the blink of an eye she's racing into the depths of the forest. Another arrow shoots from Bliss' bow, which Teal dodges, causing the sharp point to spin into a tree. As the arrow impacts against the week tree, it crumbles to the ground, creating a smokescreen of ash in which Teal vanishes from view.

As the attention turns back to Garnet, who is now weeping on the floor, tears streaming down his face and blood dripping from his wound, Bliss puts down her bow and begins to address his wound. She gets out a flask of water from one of the bags, and unscrews the top.

'No,' says Chant, with robust authority, 'that's the only water we have left. Don't waste it on Garnet.'

Masked by the District 4 boy's wails, Melissa and I sneak away silently. We make sure to follow the route of the moss, as it silences our footsteps.

I think back to what Chant said about their water – have the Careers really not worked out the secret of the bombs? Now that I think about it, there was something different about Teal – her lips were not cracked like the others, which makes me think that she must have been getting water somehow. She must have worked out about the hidden source of water. But why wouldn't she have told the others?

Our silence on our journey allows me to think about this. If the Careers had no water, they wouldn't be able to survive until the end, leaving Teal to pick them off at their weakest, whilst she remained strong. She's a strong enough fighter to make it on her own and by removing the Careers from the equation, she shouldn't have much trouble securing a victory. This realisation brings me a newfound wave of fear for Teal – not only is she physically able, she has now been proven to be both intelligent and tactical.

Ability. Intelligence. Tactics.

The three traits of a victor.


	15. Chapter 15

Wow, last monday saw my most amount of views in one day by MILES! So thank you muchly for that, guys! :D So, this chapter gets a wee bit exciting! By the way, feel free to PM/Review any questions you may have, regarding writing, suggestions, questions about the characters or anything else. Anyway, please review - I really appreciate them - and enjoy!

(Also, a little shoutout to you Swedish people who read a load of chapters last week :D - thanks for that)

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We walk for miles before stopping to make camp, assuring a safe distance from the Careers. Having found an area where the trees are large and thick, we position ourselves between two large roots. The area is relatively small for two people but we feel it is as safe as anything we'll find in this mostly burnt forest, and it seems fairly well protected.

Our supper is larger than usual, as we need a significant boost if we are to continue, so we feast on most of the remaining Rootwad. We see few dead meteors as we walk – just a '1' and a '6', but we have enough water to last at least today and tomorrow. It's quite cold, so the pair of us huddle close, and when the Capitol seal leaves the sky, it is not replaced with any faces for the third day in a row. This can only be bad for us. Firstly, it means all the other tributes are successfully surviving – tougher competition – and it also means that the Gamemakers are likely to be finding ways of making the show a little more interesting. And in the Capitol, interesting means deadly.

We are just about to close our eyes and attempt sleep when sound once again fills the arena, this time in the form of Claudius Templesmith's booming voice. _Oh God_, I think, _not more bombs_! Thankfully, it's not, but that doesn't make what he announces any more pleasant.

'Tributes!' he begins 'Congratulations on surviving thus far! I am speaking to inform you that tomorrow the Cornucopia will play host to this year's feast!'

Oh no. I've seen previous year's feasts and they almost always result in multiple deaths. I remember a few years ago, one of the first Games I can remember, all but three tributes died – the Gamemakers had to quickly flood the Cornucopia to make sure the Games didn't end too suddenly.

'In the Cornucopia, you will find a set of metal cases, one of which will have your District number on it. If both tributes from the same District are still alive, then two cases will be provided. In these cases, you will find a small selection of items – food, weapons, medicine, etcetera – which have been hand-selected by your mentors to aid your survival. These items are sure to prove invaluable to you, _but _most importantly, in these cases, you will also find a device that will allow you to personally speak to one of your mentors live, for two minutes, where they will be able to disclose any information they wish, whether it be about the arena, the other tributes, or anything else.'

A face-to-face conversation with Tyga or Tobi could give me all the information I need to stand a chance in these games. I have to get one of those cases!

'The feast will start at midday tomorrow, and will continue for one hour, after which a device in the Cornucopia will detonate, destroying any and all unclaimed cases. Good luck tributes and _may the odds be ever in your favour_!'

No words are exchanged, but Melissa and I share a look, assuring that we are both going to that feast.

When I open my eyes, the wind has picked up significantly, and I have to wipe off a thin layer of ash that has blanketed me in the night. Melissa is still asleep and I let her stay like that whilst I try to work out who's still alive, and who will be our competition at the feast.

Well, there's us two obviously. Then there're the Careers – Chant, Bliss, Garnet, Teal and the District 2 male, whose name I still don't know. Ace is still alive, and so is Frizz, which leaves nine. After a minute's thought, I remember the District 11 girl, Rayne, who I believe is still alive, leaving ten. It won't be too long now before they'll start interviewing our families.

The Capitol have made sure that attendance of the Feast will be as high as possible – very few tributes would pass by an opportunity to directly speak to their mentor. This means that we'll have to be on our guard. The area surrounding the Cornucopia is very exposed, but after about twenty metres, rocks start jutting out of the ground, allowing for ranged attacks. This is going to be a dangerous mission.

With a rustling, Melissa awakes. Dusting the ash of her body, she sits up. Not much conversation is exchanged, and we leave for the Cornucopia early, to make sure we know our plan. On the way, we try to discuss tactics, but it soon becomes apparent that we can't plan anything until we've assessed the area. Having left the forest, our first glimpse of the Cornucopia comes from a high vantage point along the rocky path. Hiding behind a rock, we see analyse the scene.

The metal horn of the Cornucopia has a long semi-circular table out in front of it. Ten cases are laid out on the table, labelled numerically from left to right, positioning Melissa and my cases on the right. In front of the table there is a visible wall of static, that lets off a light hum, preventing any tribute from snatching their case early.

From our high vantage point, we see no other tributes, but there are more places to hide than I remembered and for all we know, all eight of the others could be hidden in the rocks. Cautiously, we continue toward the Cornucopia, darting from rock to rock before we're eventually peeking through two rocks, viewing the great horn from around twenty metres away – the edge of safety. Now we're closer, I can see a digital screen above the horn, although it currently displays nothing. Looking up to the sun's position in the sky, I determine that it can't be long before the static is discharged, and the gates to the bloodbath open.

And I am shortly proved right. A synthetic voice booms from the Cornucopia.

'The Feast for the 44th Annual Hunger Games is now...open!'

With a loud crackle, the static dissipates and the digital screen begins the countdown from 60:00, showing how long we have left to grab our cases.

Somehow, I expected the beginning of it to be filled with an explosion of noise and colour as tributes dart to claim their cases, but the reality is that the only difference is the lack of the static forcefield.

Ten minutes pass. Twenty. All ten cases remain on the table.

I'm sweating, waiting for someone to take the first step.

It's over half-way before the Cornucopia sees its first action. A blur of beige sprints to the table. Black curly hair bouncing on her shoulders, Frizz grabs her case, and shoots off out of sight. Within a few seconds, she's been and gone, leaving nine cases unclaimed as the timer hits 25 minutes remaining.

I'm in shock. She just ran in, picked up her case, and legged it out of there. No one threatened her – she didn't leave with a scratch. Melissa and I exchange a look of shock. Is there really no one waiting in the wings to pounce on us?

Five minutes pass and nothing happens. No cannon shots – she got out alive, alright. I hear a sound from my right; I think Melissa mumbled something to me, but my eyes are focused on the scene. But, suddenly I'm ignoring Melissa as I see a second figure dart out into the open. She came from right near us, we must have been position right next-

Oh. I suddenly realise that it's Melissa who's sprinting towards the table. My eyes widen with fear, and my hands cover my mouth. What is she doing?! She's got her case now, and is darting back towards me.

Then all of a sudden, she's sat next to me again.

'What the hell was that?!' I hiss at her.

'We can't just sit here!' she mouths back, 'We need to get those cases.'

The case she holds is about a foot and a half wide, and fairly thin. It's not going to hold much, but its content isn't too important – what's important is the talk with our mentors. Nonetheless, I'm furious that she just ran out there. I'm not even sure why I'm mad – I guess it's that it was so reckless and dangerous. And maybe the fact she didn't get mine.

I can't be mad at her for that though, she couldn't risk staying out there for longer than she had to, and this is a game after all. I realise, if I die, does it really matter to Melissa? It's just one less opponent. I shake my head to rid these thoughts – of all the times to question my alliance, this is probably the worst.

'You should go and get yours!' she continues, 'There's not long left!'

I look at the time. It's counting down from sixteen minutes. I want to go, but right now I'm terrified. Melissa prompts me to go, but I just sit here, watching the timer count down. There're nine minutes left by the time Melissa forces me into a decision.

'Right. Either you get your case now, or we leave. I don't know how much you need that case, Connor, but I'm telling you to make a decision now.'

That's it. I get up into a crouch, ready to sprint out. I start to sweat, and my blood runs cold, when suddenly I dive to the ground. The Careers have just entered the Cornucopia.

They're intelligent enough to not make any sound, although if anyone was going to target them, they'd be well aware of the Career's presence. The four of them each face a different direction – Chant's sword raised high, an arrow on Bliss' bow, and Garnet gripping onto his trident. The district 2 male is unarmed, but he dashes towards the cases. He makes a grab for the four cases the group requires. Picking up the final case as the timer strikes five, an arrow whistles through the air and he suddenly jars, before collapsing to the ground, a blood stained arrow embedded in his skull. A cannon fires and the Careers explode into action, as they spot the culprit.

Rayne storms into the open, a sword in one hand, a dagger in the other. An enraged Chant sprint towards her, his sword dwarfing that of Rayne's. Bliss is about to shoot, when she suddenly realises the same thing I have.

Rayne doesn't have a bow. And if Rayne doesn't have a bow, where did that arrow come from? But Bliss' realisation comes too late, and before she knows it, Ace has shot out from the rocks, a few metres away from Rayne. The arrow arms Ace's bow for only a millisecond before it has lodged itself in Garnet's neck. Blood spurting over his face, he sinks into a pile on the ground.

As Ace darts for the case, Bliss fires arrow after arrow, which fly past the agile figure of my District partner. Chant and Rayne are now locked in a sword fight. A cannon booms, signalling Garnet's exit from the Games. My eyes are drawn away from the scene as Melissa elbows me in the ribs.

'Connor!' she says, 'Look at the time! If you want that case, you have to go _now_!'

The timer has just hit the one minute mark. With only a second's time to think, I charge into the open. The horror of what's happening hits me, as I rush past the dead body of Garnet, whose neck still gushes blood. I grab my case from the remaining four, and begin my run back as the clock begins its twenty second countdown. A sharp pain on my arm, sends me falling to the hard ground. One of Bliss' arrows has skimmed past my left arm, causing a light gash that hurts disproportionately. Seeing her aim her bow at me once again, I hastily get to my feet. Taking one look at her, I see her eyes widen as she sees the timer, before turning on the spot and running, like me. The timer hits 00:00.

And the Cornucopia explodes.


	16. Chapter 16

Oh hey, guys! :D Thanks for all your views last week - on Monday I had more views in one day than I've ever had! In response to one of the comments that I couldn't reply to, I update this story with a new chapter every Monday. So, as per usual, let me know what you want to/think will happen in the Reviews - who's gonna live, who's gonna die, what's [insert character] up to? So, yeah - review and enjoy!

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'Good afternoon, sleepy head!' Pura sings.

My sister's eyes are playfully staring into mine, delighted at the fact that she gets to wake me up from a long and pleasant sleep.

'Ugh.' I say sleepily, rubbing my eyes, 'Morning. What time is it?'

'Nearly 1 in the afternoon. How do you sleep for so long?!'

I suddenly jolt. 1pm? I should be at school! But, the tension quickly slips away from my body as I remember that it's Games Time, meaning no one has to go into school or work.

'Come on!' Pura calls, 'The Feast is almost over.'

The Feast? Oh yeah, it's the Hunger Games. We've actually been doing alright this year. Ten tributes left last count, and District 5 still has both its tributes. Not that that'll last long; we've only won twice out of 43 Games. Pulling on some clothes, I head into the living room.

My older brother, Tristan, is on the couch. He acknowledges my entry, but his eyes are straight back onto the screen that televises the Games live.

'What's happening?' I ask, pouring myself a glass of water.

'A minute left on the Feast' Tristan replies, eyes fixed to the screen, 'It's all kickin' off! Our girl has killed off the boys from 2 and 4, and now the rest of the Careers are just in a fight with – oh wait! Our guy's running for the case. What's he doin'?! There's like thirty seconds left!'

'He's not gonna make it!' Pura covers her eyes.

'No, he's got it!' cheers Tristan.

Who is this year's boy from 5? I can't remember. I see the figure running back from the horn, but he gets skimmed by an arrow.

'Oh come on mate! Keep goin'!'

He's back up again but then the speakers let out a huge boom as the Cornucopia explodes. Tristan and Pura are shouting in shock, but their voices sound muffled to me, as they become more and more distant. Soon, all I can hear is silence. The screen starts to fade away. Pura, Tristan, the living room – they all dissolve into darkness.

And my eyes open.

I'm laying on the hard ground, my vision blurry and my hearing impaired. At a slow rate, my senses come back to me, and I take a brief look around. The other tributes are mostly coming to their senses. My case is a metre or two away from me, and I scramble to my feet to reach it. Wobbly at first, my vision soon becomes clear and I'm all too aware of my surroundings.

Bliss and I appear to be the first to our feet. I shakily sprint out to where I think Melissa is. I can tell that I'm swerving as I run, but if Bliss is anything like as shaken as me, she'll have severe difficulty trying to accurately shoot an arrow at me. Briefly looking back at the arena, I see all the other tributes work their way onto their feet – no one seems to have been severely injured by the blast, but many are more wobbly on their feet than I, having been closer to the detonation. Chant and Rayne are close to each other, and I see him grab her leg as she tries to escape, tripping her up. I'm sure a battle between the two will soon commence, but as of now, my priority is escaping, and I finally reach the edge of safety.

Hiding behind a rock, I collapse in a disorientated heap. Within a few seconds, Melissa is at my side, having moved from where she actually was to where my dizzy brain thought she was.

'Come on' she says, 'Grab your case. We need to get out of here.'

I pick up the metal case, and together we stumble away from the Cornucopia. As we begin to reach higher ground, we hear a cannon shot. It's a while before my head clears, so we don't talk much until we reach the cave we stayed in earlier. We decide to have a quick rest here, before continuing on to our woodland camp in fifteen minutes or so.

'They'll be interviewing our families tonight' Melissa says, to break the silence.

'Yeah. While I was out cold, I thought about them. Imagined I wasn't in the Games.'

'Who's 'them'?'

'My family. Tristan, my brother. And Pura, my little sister – she thinks she all old and clever, but she's not ready to have cameras shoved in her face and asked about her brother's odds of survival.'

I look to the bracelet that Carvilia gave me, which rests around my wrist. I haven't really paid it much attention since I entered the arena, but now it brings back a flood of memories of home. I wonder if the girl who made it is watching? And Carvilia, and the rest of the prep team – what are they thinking? And Decimus? Are they shocked I've got this far? Happy? Or maybe they're betting on the others – someone who actually has a shot at winning, like Teal or Chant or Ace.

'And how about you?' I ask. 'Your sister – who else will be being interviewed for you?'

'My dad. Maybe my mum – she's been ill lately, so they might not. And I have an older sister too – she'll be there.' Melissa's eyes draw to the ground. 'She was the only one who didn't cry when they came to speak to me after the Reaping. She gave me advice on how to survive – tips on the plants, that kind of thing – basic stuff, but it was useful. She'd trained for years for the Games, in case one of us got reaped and she could volunteer – we've taken a fair bit of tesserae over the years, so we knew that we had a good chance of being picked. But she turned nineteen this year. And it just so happens that this is the year one of us gets picked. Ironic, huh?'

I don't know how to reply to that, so we sit in silence for a few minutes, before returning to the path and continuing our walk to the forest.

Sitting on a mossy patch of ground, Melissa and I decide to open our cases. We were unable to find last night's camp, but the area we've found is pretty similar, with large masses of roots concealing our presence. Two locks on either side of the cases keep them shut. I go first and, with a click, my case opens.

Inside lays a few objects. However, my eyes are immediately drawn to the slingshot placed on the metal surface. It's wooden, and fairly basic, but that doesn't matter – it's a weapon that I can use and that's what is important. I pick it up with glee and examine it before turning my attention back to the remaining contents of the case. There isn't much else – I imagine the slingshot blew most of the budget for my mentors, but there is a small packet of meat, similar to what I ate the first night I was with Melissa, and a small frame-like object. I pick it up and realise there is a small earpiece that comes with it. On one edge of the frame, there is a button labelled 'begin communication' – this must be the way in which we talk to our mentors.

Inside Melissa's case is the same communication tool, plus a small knife, some crackers, a few bandages and a pack of matches. Between us, we have a fair selection of tools to survive. Melissa wastes no time in talking to her mentor. Attaching the earpiece to the rim of her ear, she presses the 'begin communication' button. The inside of the frame immediately flickers into a hologram. The image is in colour, if slightly transparent. In the centre of the screen is a woman in her twenties. She has skin similar to Melissa's, but slightly lighter, and long dark hair, and above her is a timer which is now counting down from two minutes. The woman's face lights up as she sees Melissa.

I hear only Melissa's half of the conversation, but from it I gather her mentor's name is Glynn. Throughout the whole conversation, Melissa's expression is stern, though there are parts where she shows emotion, presumably brought on by the refreshing of her memories of home. The conversation seems to end a few seconds after it began, but I see that the timer has fully counted down. After the holographic screen dissipates, Melissa removes her earpiece. Before I can ask what Melissa's mentor said, my need to speak to my mentor has taken over me. As I put on the earpiece and press the button, I wonder whether Tyga or Tobi will be at the other end.

The screen flashes 'connecting...' for a few seconds and then the familiar face of Tyga appears on the screen, fiery curls flowing.

'Hello, Connor' she says with a smile.

Before I can reply, she's already continuing.

'Listen, we have a limited time to talk so I'm not going to waste any time with pleasantries. In the case I've made up, you'll find a slingshot – I know there's not much else, but you've managed to find food alright so far and I figured a weapon would be important for you as you get closer to the end.'

I nod in reply, not wishing to interrupt her.

'I've been in talks with the District 8 mentors, and we're trying our best to get you guys some parachutes. In terms of the other tributes, we've identified Teal, the District 2 girl, as probably the biggest threat at the moment, though obviously we're down to the final seven and no one's here through luck. The District 1 pair are going to be tough to beat, but without the aid of the other Careers they may be weakened. Also, don't rule out the District 3 girl, she hasn't proven herself physically yet, but she's smart – and smart can mean deadly in these games.'

This is all strategically useful information, but right now it's just making me even more scared of my other competitors.

'Looking at the camera feeds, I can't see anyone too near you. However, don't get too comfortable – the Gamemakers tend to push the tributes together if they get too much distance between each other.'

I take a brief look at the timer, and see that a minute's past.

'Okay, do you have any questions about anything?'

'Uh...' I stutter. I should have thought of some first. 'Wh-what should I do now?'

Tyga seems momentarily puzzled by the question. It's very basic, and I feel pretty stupid to think that Tyga's going to tell me exactly what to do to win the Games and it'll all be over and done with like that.

'Well, make sure you've got water stocked. District 1 have worked out how to get water from the asteroids now, so the Gamemakers will probably introduce water into the arena now everyone knows how to get it, but watering holes often draw in a lot of tributes, so try and stay away if possible.'

Tyga looks to her left, at another screen.

'Right, we're almost out of time. One last thing, Connor – if I were you, I'd start to distance yourself from Melissa. She's proving useful right now, and I know _useful_ isn't a nice way of thinking about her, but there's only seven left. Sooner or later, you're either going to get killed or you're going to be in a situation where you have to kill one another. Watching her, I don't think she'd have too much trouble killing you if it was down to you two in the final, so make sure that, if it comes to it, you can do it too. Don't get too comfortable.'

With mixed thoughts, I watch Tyga wait for a response.

'I won't' I say.

Tyga smiles. 'Good.'

With that, the screen flickers off, leaving me with Melissa once again, but this time it doesn't feel like I'm sat next to an ally. It feels like I'm sat here alone. Alone again.

Alone in the Hunger Games.

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Did you like it? Don't forget to let me know with a review! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Hey, readers - where's Finnick? Odair he is.

I laughed, I'm not gonna lie. :D Anyways, let me know if you like/dislike this - I always appreciate reviews - even if they're one word long. Even if they're negative - constructive criticism and all that. By the way, anyone else hyped that there's less then a year til Catching Fire? I am! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

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When nightfall comes, clouds have swept over the arena, but the Capitol seal is still clearly visible in the darkness. We wait for the anthem to end and the faces begin to appear in the sky. First is the boy from District 2, who stares menacingly into the arena. Garnet follows him, looking alarmingly young. The final face that appears is that of Rayne, the District 11 girl – so that's who the final victim of the Feast was. At the start of the Games, I'd immediately identified her as a huge threat and it seems odd to think that I've outlasted her.

Sleep doesn't come easy tonight. I've lasted a week in the arena, and that's significantly longer than I expected, but there're still some huge threats. My dreams are plagued with all the terrible things that could be yet to come. I picture every tribute killing me, even Melissa, and in none of the situations can I think of any way in which to prevent my imminent death.

I wake up to the sound of running water. Water? My eyes shoot open and look around. After a few minutes scanning the area, I pinpoint where the sound is coming from. Getting up, I wade through the trees and, within a minute, come across a small stream. It is really thin – perhaps not even a foot wide, but it means that we should have access to water.

Heading back to Melissa, I realise that we are too close to the water, which will be drawing in tributes, just as Tyga said. However, my attention is soon drawn to part of a metal object jutting out of a bush. With caution, I go over to examine it and, to my surprise, it reveals itself to be a parachute. On closer inspection, the parachute has already been opened and the contents removed. I spend a few seconds querying its existence before I head back to camp.

Melissa is awake when I return – I guess I woke her up.

'There's a stream over there.' I say.

'A stream? What, like water?'

'Yeah. Also a parachute – empty, though.'

A look of guilt suddenly paints Melissa's face. She looks to the ground, before explaining her reaction.

'Oh yeah, it was for me.' She says, regaining eye contact. 'I got it last night – after you'd gone to sleep.'

She reaches into her pocket, and pulls out an unlabelled glass file of dark purple liquid.

'It's a painkiller – some kind of Capitol concoction. If you get an injury, or any sudden pains, just a gulp or two of this and – boom – the pain's gone for a few hours. I didn't tell you because sleep's important in this arena, and hard to come by, so I didn't want to wake you. Sorry.'

I shake off any suspicions I had, and place myself next to Melissa, taking a look at the file of liquid. It reminds me of one of the exotic berry juices I tried in the Capitol. Even the fake colours of the Capitol seem appealing now, after spending days surrounded by dirt and dust.

'Why do you think they sent painkiller anyway?'

'Dunno' she says, taking back the medicine, 'Maybe in case we need it soon. I mean, there are only seven of us left. Sooner or later, we're gonna run into some kind of confrontation.'

This is true, and is a fact I've been trying to ignore for the last few days. In my head last night, I ran through all the tributes left and deduced that the only one I'd have a chance at defeating in combat would be Frizz, but even then I'd have to avoid her strong knife-throwing skills. I do have a slingshot now though, but it's a hard weapon to kill with. I'd have to have some seriously hard ammo, and perfect aim – neither of which I have. I suppose I do have a knife, currently located in my pocket – a clean shot with that could kill, but I'm not that good. It's at this moment I decide that I should spend time practicing my aim. We often sit around doing very little for a large portion of the day, so I could utilise this time.

'We need to move away from the stream' I say, 'If this is the only one around, it might attract unwanted attention.'

'You're right', says Melissa, a solemn look on her face.

'Best not leave it too long. We don't know how far away the others are.'

With that, I pick up our water flask, plus one of the orbs from the comets that we've been topping up with water, seen as they have a lid, making them good storage. There are barely any dead bombs laying around anymore, in fact the arena shows signs of healing from the bombing – sprouts of greenery are starting to appear around the forest, and birdsong is returning to the trees, however, this is still rare.

'Right, I'll refill our water supplies, and you get packed up – when I'm back we can get going.' I say before heading off towards the stream.

I see Melissa start packing up our small selection of supplies, before my vision is blocked by trees, and I return my focus to reaching the river. I'm there in no time, and the stream appears wider now – maybe two feet. Perhaps the Gamemakers are still introducing the water into the arena, and I stumbled upon it in its early stages. The water is surrounded by slippery rocks that vary in size, from large slabs to small pebbles, and I have to kneel down to steady myself on the wet surface.

I dip the flask into the river, and let the water flow in. When it is as full as possible, I twist the lid onto it. I then fill up the orb, before resealing it. This activity has made me thirsty, so I cup my hand and scoop up some water to drink. As I swallow it, it suddenly dawns on me that the water could be a poisonous trap, but seen as I don't keel over and die after drinking it, I put that thought to rest.

Quickly, I stand up to return to Melissa, but in this time I've completely forgotten about the wet surface and with a yelp I lose my balance and slip onto my back, hitting it hard on the stone. However, this sharp fall barely fazes me. My attention is elsewhere. As I fell, I felt a whoosh of air, followed by an imminent crack behind me. My eyes are now locked on the tree that stands directly behind where I was stood a second ago. A knife is jutting out of it, creating a large indent in the blackened tree.

My head jolts round to see where my unlucky assassin is, and across the stream, staring right at me, is Teal.

She stands maybe ten metres away. My eyes are locked with hers. Neither of us moves.

My eyes leave hers for a millisecond to scan her body for weapons. She has her shield on her back, but I can't see anything else. I left my slingshot back at the camp, but I remember that I have my knife with me. My eyes not leaving hers, I reach into my pocket and pull out the weapon. I see her eyes glance down to my hand. I'm not sure why she's still standing. She doesn't appear armed and she could probably outrun me. Perhaps, she thinks I have knife-throwing skills. Teal takes two steps towards me – her hands up in front of her, reading to fight. Keeping my fingers around the handle of the knife, I decide to bluff my confidence. Stupid? Probably. But, I can't think of anything else.

'Come on, Teal' I say.

Her eyes widen and she freezes. Inside, I explode with fear, but my voice sounds confident. Perhaps some of Decimus' lessons in skilfully speaking actually went in.

'You didn't kill the District 9 girl, you didn't kill Garnet, and we both know you won't kill me.'

The shock can't be hidden from her face.

'How do you know that?' she says shakily.

'Oh please!' I say with sarcasm. Inside I've died several times. 'I've been watching you for ages. Like when you ran away from the Careers – didn't see that one coming, I must admit.'

Teal is visibly stunned. What must she be thinking now? What else do I know? Well, nothing. But she doesn't know that. Yet, she's taking a few more steps towards me. I raise my knife.

'Stay back...or this won't end well for you.'

What am I doing? Every single bone in my body is telling me this is stupid.

'Look, Teal. You don't have to be that person. You're not a killer – you didn't kill Garnet, or that girl – you have a heart.'

Emotion flies over her face. She starts to say something but stops abruptly.

'You can talk to me. I'm not a Career. I do things differently.'

Hesitantly, she looks to me. But, she doesn't look menacing. In fact, I think her eyes may be spawning tears, and when she speaks, her voice trembles.

'I...I can't do it. These Games. I'm just not made that way' she steps towards me, her arms now lowered. 'I thought I was. I thought I'd get in the Games and it'd be fine...but it wasn't.'

Again, she steps towards me. I can see it now – her eyes are glistening with tears. We're now just a few metres apart.

'It's okay.' I say. I'm still unbelievably cautious, but I've never seen this Teal. She seems so...human. 'Look, things don't have to be done that way. The Career way. You can get through the Games with dignity.'

Her eyes to the ground, she moves to the right of me, so I turn to face her. She speaks again.

'It's just sometimes, I think I can win, but then I realise that I can't get there without, y'know, killing these...these children.'

And the murderous Career I knew before vanishes. Now, I see Teal for what she really is. A pawn in the Capitol's game, just like me. Just one more girl sentenced to death in these Games.

'Look. Come with me. We can help stop the Careers. Let the winner be someone with dignity, who hasn't killed out of bloodlust. Someone who's-'

And suddenly I see what she's doing. But, it's too late, and before I know it, she's grabbed the knife out of the tree, and is plunging it at my throat. Then, we're on the floor, and her knife is pressed up against my neck. My hand is pushing up on her wrist and this is the only thing keeping the blade from causing a new cannon to fire. I try to grab my knife with my other hand, but Teal kicks it away the second I get my hands on it. Mad eyes burn into mine as she speaks.

'I'm a pretty good actress, you know', she says and a smile spreads across her face, 'I'm going to enjoy this.'


	18. Chapter 18

It's a Sunday, but there's a new chapter. What? What's going on?! Well, I'll tell you what's going on - it's just I won't be able to access my laptop to upload a chapter tomorrow. Exciting, eh? Also, there is a chance there might not be a chapter next week (but there probably will be, so don't worry). Anways enjoy, and also, if you review, I'll give you a cyber papaya, because everyone loves cyber papaya - so get reviewing! :D

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I can't believe I fell for that! How could I have been so stupid? And now, that stupidity could cost me everything.

My hand's still pushing up at her wrist, but the pressure is gaining, and it's becoming harder and harder to keep the blade away from my throat. My other arm is flailing, unable to do anything but clutch at the pebbles on the ground, with Teal's other arm blocking access to the knife. My eyes are staring deep into the District 2 girl's in hope of mercy, but all that is reflected back in hers is vengeance.

I try to shout for help – no clear syllables can be heard, but a loud cry comes from my lips – I pray it's enough for Melissa to hear, but realistically, it probably isn't. Before I can shout anymore, Teal's other hand has swung up onto my mouth, hitting it hard. Within seconds, I can taste the irony tang of blood, so I guess my nose is bleeding. Her hand now covers my mouth and nose, and breathing suddenly becomes an issue.

'Shut it, little boy!' she hisses at me.

The knife is now just a few millimetres from my neck, which is rising and falling rapidly as I struggle for air. My other arm swings up to get Teal's hand off my mouth, but it is promptly batted away, letting it hit hard onto the ground.

My body is now shaking, in a useless attempt to get air. In panic, my free hand scrambles on the floor. My fingers grasp around a large stone, and without a second thought, I swing my arm up, and feel the rock collide with Teal's skull.

The hand around my mouth suddenly loosens, and I gasp for the luxury of air. Her eyes are still staring at me, but they seem to be looking past mine. The knife is still at my throat, so, using the same rock, my arm once again swings up, and smashes the hard surface of the pebble on her fragile head. This time, Teal's body melts into a limp state, the knife disappearing from my throat. Her still body rolls off of mine, and I scuttle away from her as quickly as possible. From a distance, I watch her, and the only movement is the blood that dyes her hair red. After a few moments pass, I step cautiously over to her and look at her face. The pools of red hot anger in her eyes have now cooled and, like stone, they pay no attention to me.

The cannon fires, and I know what I've done.

For a few minutes I just stare at her. This girl whose future I have just stolen. I should run – I made too much noise to be safe, but I don't. She looks so young. This girl could have won – she could have lived. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she could have done something with it. But, I killed her. I picked up a rock. I hit her round the head. And I killed her.

My emotions explode, and I fall to my knees, puking. I know what I've done, and every part of me is rejecting it. I look down, and the stone is still in my hand, reddened with the blood of the girl I murdered. I stand up with the stone and hurl it as far away as I possibly can. My nose has stopped bleeding, and I can feel the river it created has dried on my face, but I don't wipe it away. I don't care.

I can hear a voice talking to me in the background. Melissa arrived at some point. She probably heard my cries, and now she's trying to talk to me. I feel her hand on my shoulder, but I'm somewhere else. I'm not in this arena. I haven't just killed a girl.

She's guiding me back to our camp. She's packed up all our things, and together we walk to find a new camp. At some point, I hear a noise behind me. The hovercraft is picking up the girl I killed. Taking her home, so her family can weep over her dead body. Or maybe she won't go home. Maybe, her family will never see her again, and all they'll have to remember her by is a few photos and some personal belongings.

We arrive at our new camp. Melissa says some things to me. Pointless, irrelevant things probably. Soon, the sun isn't shining anymore. The sky is black. I don't look up, but I know the girl I killed is staring at me from the sky. Her lit up face, introduced with a fanfare. Melissa continues to talk to me as her face fades. I don't know why. She gives up after a few attempts, and she's quiet for a while.

And then the sky is light. The sun has appeared again. My knife is clutched tight to me, in case the girl I killed tries to kill me again. At one point, we eat. And then the sky is filled with wonderful colours, and it's dark again. No faces appear in the sky. Then, a cannon booms. And suddenly, I'm back in the arena, and it's all real again.

'Melissa' I say.

'Yes?' she says, shocked that I am once again speaking.

'I killed Teal.' I tell her, before bursting into tears.

'How long was I out for?' I ask, picking at the crackers and Rootwad which we have for a late supper.

'A day and a half' she says, 'You just sat there. You didn't eat much, and I don't think you slept at all.'

I can't believe the effect killing Teal, a girl who was about to kill me anyway, has had on me. If this is how I'm going to react to anymore of the deaths, then I can kiss my chances of winning goodbye. And then I realise it. I _could_ win. This is the first time I've even considered it. That cannon meant there's only five of us left. Nineteen are dead, but we've survived, and there must be a reason for that. I decide to voice my thoughts to Melissa.

'We could win, you know.'

'_One of us_ could win' she corrects.

'Do you think anyone's betting on us to win?'

As if to answer our question, a glimmer catches my eye, and I spot a parachute floating down from the treetops.

'Look!' I say to Melissa, getting up and allowing the parachute to fall into my hands.

With a twist, it opens. Inside there is a reminder of home. A small loaf of bread sits in there. A District 5 loaf. I've often seen tributes get sent these – it's a reminder of home more than an actual gift of food. It's purpose is to remind you that, somewhere out there, your District is supporting you, and that they believe you can win. And that's more important than a box of matches or a weapon.

I bring it over to Melissa. The loaf has a dusting of red stripes on it. Other than that, it's a pretty regular loaf in appearance, but those red stripes mean a whole host of other things. Together, we take a bite. The sweet flavours send the memories flooding back. My siblings – Pura and Tristan. The school. The factories. The powerlines. My home. Yeah, District 5's looking pretty good to me right about now.

'Let's save the rest until later,' Melissa says, 'You need sleep.'

I lay down next to a large tree, and curl over. My knife is still in my hand. Since killing Teal, I haven't been able to let it go. My other hand is playing with the bracelet Carvilia gave me. The one from District 5. I take in every detail. The metals, the wire – all little trinkets probably found abandoned around the District. I'm still examining it when my eyelids get heavy, and I fall asleep.

The ruins of the citadel are dark, and the stone is cold against my bare feet as I walk. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know where I am. Turning to my right, Terra is looking at me. Her chest is tainted with red, where I let Ace stab her. She's crying as she steps towards me. My blood running cold, I sprint away from her.

Suddenly I'm in a new landscape. A fiery wasteland, where explosions of colour light up the sky. Emerging from the bombs, the shadowy figure of Cam steps towards me, eyes hollow with anger. The bombs all around remind me of how I let him run into the explosion that killed him. With a cry he starts running towards me. I try to scream, but terror has stolen my words, so I dash away from him.

I run past the Cornucopia. Rayne, Garnet and the District 2 male are there and they're screaming, drenched in scarlet blood.

'You did this!' they cry, as I sprint away.

And suddenly I'm in the forest. The branches scratch at me, as I stumble through the dark maze. I come upon a river and I know who waits for me there. But she's not there. I cry out her name, but she doesn't respond. Then suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder. It's her. I know it is. She's trying to kill me for what I did, but I won't let her. Swinging round, I plunge the knife into Teal's side.

A cry echoes around, and suddenly I escape from the dream, and my eyes open. I'm back in the arena. But, I can hear a wailing from behind. It must be Teal. No, I killed her – that was a dream. So, I turn to see who is crying out, and there I see Melissa clutching her bleeding side.

Right where I stabbed her.


	19. Chapter 19

Ooh! It's all kickin' off! Anyways, happy holidays to all of you guys by the way. So, yeah, not much to say here - as always, let me know your opinions (I really do care) - who's gonna win? Who's gonna die next? What's gonna happen? And, of course, enjoy!

(Also, a quick shoutout to richards25, as you are my most consistent reviewer - just to let you know I really appreciate it!)

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As Melissa recoils in pain, a glass object falls from her hand and smashes into hundreds of shards as it hits the floor. I try to apologise to her, but my mouth is full of stutters and false starts, and I can't get a sentence out. Melissa cries out in pain, and some words finally escape my lips.

'I- I can't- I'm sorry, I thought you were Teal. I mean, I thought-'

Her breathing's fast, and blood is pouring from the wound, but I can tell from the location that it shouldn't be life threatening. I quickly dash to our bag and fumble around in the dark for the bandages. In a few seconds, the wound is tidied up and cocooned in bandages. It is then that my attention returns to the smashed object on the floor. A few key pieces are still intact, which is enough for me to determine what the object was – a needle. An orange liquid has leaked around it, but the needle appears to have been unmarked.

'What were you doing?' I ask, suspicions building in my mind every second that passes.

'What?' she says, clutching her bandages, which are now reddening.

'That was a needle.' I start, realising what she was doing. 'Were you injecting me with something?!'

'I- I'm sorry.' Her eyes dart about. 'I didn't think you'd take it if I asked.'

'Take what? What were you doing to me?!' I'm getting angry now.

'It's a sleeping drug.'

'What?! You were trying to drug me?'

'For God's sake, Connor! You hadn't slept in nearly 48 hours!' she cries at me, wincing in pain, 'I knew you wouldn't take it if I asked, so I thought, whilst you were asleep, I'd inject you! There's two people in this alliance, you know, and if you slip up because you haven't had enough sleep, it's both of us that have to pay the price!'

'But-' Thoughts are racing through my head. 'What? Where did you get it from?'

'It came in that parachute!' Her voice is lowering now, realising that it would be stupid to make a lot of noise. 'Seriously, you need to stop being so selfish! If you don't get sleep, we both suffer, and I don't know about you, but I plan on getting out of this _alive_! But, I guess you kinda screwed that plan, didn't you?'

She gestures to the smashed glass. I've been cornered. Yet again, I've come to the wrong decision about Melissa's intentions, and it's damaged our alliance. With Melissa's final statement, the arena once against falls into silence. This gets me thinking. There are five people left. Should I consider letting this alliance die? If I don't, there's a chance we could get to the situation where it's Melissa versus me, and I know I don't want that. With the way I reacted after killing Teal, who knows how I'd react to killing Melissa? But, I have no right to leave now. Melissa is injured. I caused it. And that's all there is, so I stay.

We do both eventually get to sleep and, to my surprise, I sleep for hours. When I wake, the sun is already in the sky. And I'm still alive, so that's a plus. Melissa is awake, but she's still lying down. When I get up and go over to her, she sits up, and stifles a cry of pain. Her bandages are now tainted with red. I suggest that she should take the painkiller, but she insists that she'll be fine. This, however, doesn't put any of my mind's worries to rest and it's obvious that she'll be in no state to do much, so I go looking for a few herbs and plants.

Over the last few days, I've gathered a basic knowledge of what's edible and what's not, so I manage to pick out a few leaves and roots, but nothing substantial. Lucky for me, the food we received from the Feast is still predominantly uneaten, so most of our meal is made up of that. I use the crackers to make a sort of "sandwich", with a meat and Rootwad filling. This uses up the remainder of our crackers and meat, but the end of the Games is nearing, and we need our strength.

With Melissa leaning against one side of the tree, I walk to the other side and rummage through the bag for the flask of water. It's not hard to find, due to the lack of objects of the bag, which is now ridiculously oversized for its purpose. However, as I pull out the flask, I spot the little vial of purple liquid that Melissa called a painkiller. I know she refused it when I offered, but it's blatantly obvious that she needs something to ease the pain her wound is inflicting on her. I remember how she was going to drug me, as I would have refused to take any sleep medicine, and this gives me an idea. I flip open the lid of the flask, and pour half the vial of painkiller into it. She needs this and, having caused the injury, I'll be damned if I'm going to let her carry on in pain when we have a way of preventing it.

The purple liquid dyes the water a light lilac, but it's almost impossible to see in the shadows of the flask interior. Closing the cap of the flask, I take the meal over to her.

'Thanks' she says. Understandably, she's still eyeing me with suspicion, but I know Melissa, and she'll get over it soon.

A take a bite into the cracker sandwich. The flavours don't blend brilliantly, but it's a welcome change from the constant raw Rootwad and herbs. Melissa seems to enjoy it, as she crunches into the cracker. Then, picking up the flask, she takes a large gulp of water. The food is very dry, which ensures a large amount of the painkiller will enter her system, which lets a river of relief wash over me. Upon tasting the undoubtedly unnatural taste of this "water", her face expresses that of confusion.

'Is this water?' she asks.

She runs her tongue along her teeth, examining the flavour

'Tastes like-' She pauses. ' –berries.'

'Yeah' A guilty grin sneaks into my expression. 'I know you said you didn't need any painkiller, but I think we both know that was a lie. So, I thought, seen as I caused the injury, I had to set it straight, so I put some of the painkiller into the water.'

Her eyes widen with shock and...fear?

'I-I'm sorry.' I start, startled by her reaction. 'I just knew you wouldn't take it, but you needed it.'

Her face pales with terror. She tosses the flask out of her hands, which hops along the mossy floor, spraying lilac water everywhere, and she begins spitting out any saliva she can find in her mouth, making alarming gurgling sounds.

I look on, bewildered. I can't understand this reaction at all. Have I done something wrong? Did the painkiller need to be taken a certain way? Thoughts flush through my mind, but they all stop at dead ends.

Melissa's on her hands and knees now, and I can see she's visibly trembling. Moaning in agony, she takes two fingers and shoves them down her throat. This causes her to gag, making noises that make me want to puke. As if reading my mind, she vomits all over the mossy floor. However, this somehow doesn't have the desired effect, and in seconds, she's attempting to repeat the process.

'What's-' I start, but I can't fit into words all the questions I'm overflowing with.

She's on the floor now, her arms and legs shaking, as though someone were electrocuting her. In fear, I run over to her flailing body.

'Melissa! What's happening? Why- what can I do?'

She doesn't reply, but as the shaking begins to stop, her body slowly stills. I was expecting to be relieved when she stopped these violent movements, but now I worry even more, as I helplessly look on in terror.

'Melissa! What did I do?'

For the first time, she speaks to me, her lips trembling and her eyes looking past mine.

'Sorry' she whispers, her voice dry and scratchy.

'Sorry? What for? Melissa? What can I do?'

She's not replying. What the hell have I done?!

'Melissa!' I cry, desperate for my ally to speak to me, 'What's wrong?!'

In the silence of the arena, I just manage to hear a final word escape her lips.

'...nightlock.'

And then her body stills, her limbs relax, and in the distance I hear the cannon boom.


	20. Chapter 20

Wow, Chapter 20 - thank you everyone who's reviewed, favourited, followed for your continued support :D So, the number of tributes is being whittled down - not long to go now, and I want to know what your predictions are for the top placings. Yeah, so - review and enjoy!

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Her eyes. They're the first thing I notice. Before anything else, I see the light fade away from them, and I'm left staring, bewildered, into dark pools, void of any emotion. I just can't understand the situation. Melissa is dead. And I think I killed her.

Nightlock. The word roots up memories from something from my past – berries, I think they were. I'd seen them in the Games when I was younger. Maybe the 38th Games – perhaps the 37th. I remember it being one of the first games I was able to fully comprehend. The girl from 5 had picked a bunch of Nightlock berries, knowing of the fruit's deadly poison, and put them in a used parachute, hoping that one of the other hungry tributes would stumble upon them, and put her one step closer to victory. It didn't quite go to plan though, as her District partner and ally was unaware of the trap, and ended up eating them. I guess Nightlock has a habit of not killing who it's supposed to.

But, this whole ordeal begs the question – why did Melissa have poison? And, more importantly, why did she tell me it was painkiller? There are too many questions in my mind, and the emotions are taking a backseat as I try to work through this. I think practically, for the first time in an age, and decide to retrieve Melissa's knife. I feel around her coat, which rests on her eerily warm body, and begin to rummage through the pockets. The knife resides in one of the inner pockets, and I pull it out. However, a small piece of paper comes out with it.

It floats down to the floor, and when I pick it up, it reveals itself to be a label. The edges are torn so I guess it was ripped off of something prior to its placement in Melissa's coat. Picking it up, I examine the label:

_Muscuclear Wince Cleanser_

I recognise the words. I remember one of my prep team – Pollia, I think – mentioned that her boyfriend had just been winced. I had no idea what this meant at the time so, at risk of sounding rude, I played along and asked her about it.

'Aww, bless your heart – I suppose they don't really have wincing in District 5, now do they?' she had said, in the most unbelievably patronising tone. 'Well, basically they – well, I'm not exactly sure on the scientific front – but it seems like they completely cleanse your muscles of any bad bacterias, and replenish all the cells and things like that. Long story short, he's now ten times more muscular than before. Bless him though, he did have a tough few days after the treatment.'

At the time, I didn't understand this, but I've just noticed the small print at the bottom of the label:

_CAUTION: May induce large amounts of pain surrounding the areas of injection. Muscuclear recommends using Muscuclear Pain Halter for 2-3 days after treatment to soothe any inflammation or stinging._

It suddenly clicks that this label must have fallen off of the syringe Melissa was using to inject me last night. So, she was trying to cause me pain, without me knowing? What would that accompl-

Suddenly, it all slots into place and it's clear to me. I'd wake up in agony and Melissa, being the good natured ally, would selflessly offer me the "painkiller", knowing of course that this would ultimately lead to my death. I wonder if Glynn told her to do this when she got a chance to talk to Melissa mentor-to-tribute. I guess she hadn't counted on me being the psychologically scarred freak I apparently am now. This is a despicable and cowardly plan, but I manage to see past this – after all, she's been a lifesaver in the arena, and only one of us can win.

Knowing the hovercraft will have to pick up Melissa's body, I gather up our – _my_ – supplies and leave this area, taking one last look at the girl that was once my ally.

I travel for hours, breaking infrequently. I pass through the forest completely, entering the rocky pass where my steps become more cautious. Instead of one grieving explosion, my emotions are expressed through a constant trickle of tears as I walk. By the time I reach the rubble of the castle where I spent my first night, my tears have all but dried up.

I pause for a second, looking upon the ruins and remembering a time where sixteen tributes were still alive. I sit down on a large slab of stone, and look back upon my time in the arena. I remember the first death I really felt – that was Terra's, and it was caused by Ace. Now that I think of it, a cannon went off earlier, snapping me out of my trance – Ace could already be dead. Then I found Melissa. The cannons went off killing Cam, and a few others. Then, one by one, they all fell – Garnet and the boy from 2, then Rayne. And then Teal, I choke up at the thought, but push the tears back down – I doubt I've even got any left to cry – and of course, Melissa.

I get up and carry on past the rubble. A new forest begins shortly, but within maybe fifteen minutes of entering it, I find cause to turn back. After attempting to make camp at the base of a tree, a large bug, about the size of an arrowhead, scuttles onto my foot. I don't notice it at first, mistaking it for a rock. It soon makes its presence known though, as a large horn, that makes up about a third of it's length, jabs deep into my ankle.

I cry in pain, feeling as though someone's just pushed a spear into my leg. I rip the creature off, and hurl it at a nearby tree. To my horror, the tough shell of the insect fails to show even the smallest sign of any impact – if anything, the tree's damaged more. The valiant critter returns to finish the job. Plucking my slingshot from my bag, I pick up a rock and, aiming carefully, let the stone fly at the bug. It bounces straight of the insect's shell, allowing it to continue its journey towards me. I'm horrified when I see another one join it, and I pray that this is not the Capitol's plan to finish me off, and is just a lucky surprise for them.

My ankle is bleeding now, but lucky for me, these mutts are not the fastest creatures, so I have time to use the only tool I can think of – fire. I grab a match and light the closest bug on fire. I feel awful for this, as it's not a pleasant way to die, but nonetheless I repeat it on the second creature. I don't know why I feel so bad about killing to Capitol insects, when I've essentially murdered two people in the last three days.

When the fire dies out, I check and see neither of the bugs are moving. Cautiously I pick one up. I am certain of its death now that I can see the charred remains of its body through the small holes in its shell. I place them both in my bag. My bag is pretty empty and weightless, so along my journey I've been gathering random bits and pieces, on the off chance that they may come in handy, one way or another.

After the bug incident, I hastily retreat from the forest. Along my way, I notice several others, and am glad I discovered these before I properly made camp. By the time I reach the edge of the forest, the trees are free of bugs. I decide to make camp along the edge, as it is dark by now, and I need some form of shelter, but it's unlikely that I'll be able to reach the other forests without getting lost in the night environment.

For the first time since the bombings, tonight I hear the sound of bird hoots. After an hour or so, however, the Capitol anthem smashes through the night-time sounds of the arena. I'm intrigued to know who the other cannon was for. Whoever it is will be announced before Melissa, as her district, District 8, is the last numerically, of the surviving tributes. Or not surviving, as the case may be.

After the Capitol seal fades from view, the mystery victim appears in the form of Frizz, the District 3 tribute. I never knew here name, I just gave her that nickname to make identifying her easier. I wonder how she met her demise. Most likely, the Careers caught up with her, or possibly Ace was the one to kill her. I suppose she could have died of natural causes but, this late into the competition, the Gamemakers like to maximise the excitement of the deaths, so unless it's due to something like a fire or an avalanche, they tend to limit the natural deaths.

Of course, the next face shown is that of Melissa's. I look down, not wishing to see her again. I miss her, I'm not going to lie. She may have been trying to kill me, but this is the first night I've been alone, and I long for the comfort of human companionship. Not that that's likely to come along anytime soon. Ace and I parted a long time ago, and if I found the Careers, I don't think I'd live to tell the tale. And...

Wait, that's it. That's all of us. There're only two Districts left. It's District 1 versus District 5. So when, several hours later, I hear a rustling from the bushes behind me, I don't need to look to know who it is, but I turn to greet the figure anyway.

'Hello Ace' I say.


	21. Chapter 21

Hey, I know it's a day early, but I wasn't sure if I could upload tomorrow, so here you go! Enjoy!

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I know why she's here. It's because she's smart. She knows that Bliss and Chant are going to hunt as a team, and she understands that, whilst I'm not as strong as either of them, with them working as a pair, neither is she. But, with two of us, we could come up with tactics, or a backup plan. And whilst she doesn't want to admit it, I'm fairly certain she trusts me. And yes, maybe it's because she thinks I'm weak, but the trust is there. The only problem is I'm not sure if I trust _her_.

She sits herself a few feet away from me, placing the backpack she holds next to her. It thumps on the ground, sounding full, and I pray that some of that weight is made up of food.

'If I'm honest, I'm surprised you're still alive. Thought the Careers would have had you a long time ago.' she says, looking at me directly, which is rare for her.

'Me too.' I reply honestly, 'But, here I am.'

There's silence for a few seconds, before I get down to business. Ace isn't one for pleasantries, and I'm not going to bore her with them.

'So, who've you...killed?'

I pause at the word. It doesn't seem right. To bring this up in conversation so casually just doesn't feel right, but I need to know. I need to know who I'm dealing with.

'You really want to know?'

I consider saying no, but if I'm going to trust Ace, it's important I know what she's capable of.

'Yes.'

'The District 10 boy right at the start, in the Cornucopia. The girl from 7, but of course you know that. And I suppose you saw me kill the boys from 2 and 4.'

Four. I guess it's what I expected, but it still seems shocking. It also means it was, most likely, the Careers that got Frizz.

'And you?' she asks. I can tell by the way she asked that she's expecting me to tell her about how I've killed no one, and fluked by.

'Teal and Melissa.'

'Melissa? Wasn't she meant to be your ally?'

'Yeah. But sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan them.'

She contemplates this for a while before replying.

'And who's Teal?'

'The girl from 2'

'The girl from 2?!' Even Ace can't mask the shock from her face. 'You? You killed the girl from 2?'

She lightly chuckles.

'Well, Connor Jedd, I can honestly say you've surprised me.' And with a wry smile she adds, 'Maybe we have a better shot at beating District 1 than I thought.'

Compared to my meals for the past ten days, breakfast the next morning is basically a gourmet feast. Ace has been showered with parachutes as of late apparently, and we dine on meat, bread, cheese and fruit. She also has a fair supply of water – most of mine had to be poured away at risk of Nightlock contamination. After sharing our supplies last night, Ace gave me an upgrade on my current knife, presenting me with a set of four knives that she was given earlier from a sponsor and allowing me to choose one. It's obvious that the mentors favoured her, and I can't say I'm overly surprised, but I'm just happy that her support can benefit me now. She didn't take off the quiver of arrows all night, and the silver bow never left her hand as she slept.

'The Gamemakers probably won't force us into a fight today.' Ace says, between mouthfuls of meat. 'They'll be wanting a build up to the grand finale – time for promotion. The last fight usually happens pretty much when they schedule it to be.'

I think I know what she means, but I'm sure to clarify.

'What, like releasing Mutts or starting fires – things like that?'

'Yeah. It's unlikely they'll be trying to kill us. Maybe they'll pick off one or two of us, but the final battle is the pinnacle of the Games and to not have it would be disastrous. Chances are they'll just devise a few traps to push us towards the fight.'

I'm shocked at Ace's level of understanding about the Games. If she wins this, I know she'll be a great mentor, assuming she can loosen her cold shell. The conversation lulls for a bit, as we dig into the meal, until I eventually bring up a new subject of conversation

'So, what do you think the reaction of us getting this far will be back home?'

Ace lifts her head up from her meal to answer.

'Probably surprise mostly. We never do well. We're at such a disadvantage. For one thing, our industry teaches us nothing about using weapons. Plus, most people in our District always have enough to eat, so our bodies can't cope with the lack of food, and 5 is so industrialised, we've got barely any chance to learn how to hunt or find edible plants. It's the same problem for 6.'

With Ace putting it like that, I'm surprised either of us has made it this far.

'Well, maybe this year will be different. We could win you know.' I hesitate, and then quietly add 'Well, one of us.'

After that, the conversation turns to what today should consist of. We easily have enough food to last us a few days, and the water shouldn't run out for another two days or so, so we decide the only logical thing left to do is to practice handling our weapons. Ace is the one who suggests this. I can see that she doubts my ability, and if I can't help her out in a fight, then what good am I? Plus, maybe it will raise my chances of getting out of the arena alive.

We start off with knife skills. Ace shows me a few ways to throw a knife, and with my basic ability level being fairly good anyway, it's not long before she's comfortable with my skill. She then shows me a few manoeuvres for hand-on-hand combat, which I am less good at. However, there's a few tips I learn from her, which could get me out of a sticky situation or two.

Following this, the rest of the afternoon is spent practicing with my slingshot. As the afternoon progresses, I get increasingly more accurate, using stones from the ground and aiming them at trees. When night falls, I am consistently hitting trees far into the distance, and Ace is in a much improved mood now that she is more confident in my abilities. I reckon if the Gamemakers saw me now, my training score would have been significantly higher – a 7, perhaps even an 8.

Unsurprisingly, when the Capitol anthem finishes, not a single face is shown in the sky. There're still four of us left, and I don't reckon any of us will see another face appear in this way. I somehow have a feeling that if one of us dies, the Victor will be crowned the same day. Realistically, it's not about tactics anymore. It's about District 1 versus District 5. And whoever survives the battle will be crowned Victor.

My sleep is plagued by nightmares. My head is cluttered with guesses as to how the final battle will happen. Most likely, it'll be a basic tribute-on-tribute fight to the death, but what if they bring in mutts? I've seen too many tributes lose their lives to hideous Capitol creations, and have decided that that's certainly not the way I want to die. Ideally, I'd like to die happy, having lived a long and full life, surrounded by the people I love. But, I guess that's what I'm fighting for – the right to die on my terms.

When we awake on, what Ace and I determine as day 12 in the arena, there's an air of oncoming tragedy. We're both fairly certain that today will be the day the Victor is crowned. The Games usually last around about two weeks – sometimes less, not often much more. The air is slightly foggy and damp, but the temperature is average. As the morning progresses, the fog gets thicker further into the forest, but lighter in the direction of the ruins. We don't have to look deep to understand that the Gamemakers are instructing us to follow the lighter fog.

As expected, the fog gets progressively lighter as we travel. It's soon that Ace realises the fog is leading us to the Cornucopia. Half way through our journey, we abandon Ace's large backpack, and travel with just my small, lightweight bag, which has very little in it. This is sign that we won't be returning. We're half an hour away when we decide to properly arm ourselves. Ace places a knife in her pocket, and equips herself with her bow, arrow primed to shoot. I also place a knife in my pocket, and gather a selection of stones to use as ammo for my slingshot, which I hold in my hand.

When we arrive at the Cornucopia, we are shocked to find a massive wall of stone – a good ten or twelve feet high stretching from one side to the other, obscuring the view across the flat land. It cuts straight through the metal horn, with clean edges – a clear creation of the Gamemakers. On it, in big red writing is the number '5'. District 5 – this was meant for us. We walk over to it, with extreme caution, Ace and I with our backs to each other so we are aware of all our surroundings. We, however, remain untouched when we reach the wall.

'What does it mean?' I whisper to Ace, but she just stares at the wall, contemplating her next move.

Suddenly, a crack emerges at the top and runs the whole way down, until it reaches the floor. Then with a deafening roar, the whole wall crumbles into a pile of dust, and we are left staring at the other side of the pile of rubble where, just a few metres away from us, stand Bliss and Chant.

The Gamemakers have set the stage. They've drawn us in, and now we're ready to play the game. The game where three people die and one survives.

_Welcome to the finale._

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So, I've finished writing the final two chapters after this one. So, now it's up to you when they get posted. If I get three reviews for this chapter, I'll upload the next one early (as soon as I can after I get the reviews). If I don't, I'll still update on Monday, as usual, but this is your chance to get it uploaded early! So, predictions for the winner? Let me know in the reviews! And if I don't speak to you before then, Happy Christmas! :)

Oh, and I just a shoutout to Mattii16 who's recently become a very consistant reviewer! I appreciate's everyone's reviews, whether positive or constructive criticism, it's just nice to hear feedback, and it gets me motivated to write more! :)


	22. Chapter 22

So, I said if you got your reviews in, I'd upload the next chapter, and you got reviewing, so here it is! It's a slightly shorter chapter, but I knew where I wanted it to end, so I decided that the length wouldn't matter so much. Anyways, enjoy! :)

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_I always wondered how far I'd get in the Games. Of course, I prayed I'd never have a chance to find out. I had always assumed I'd survive a few days maybe, not more than a week. I'd probably get picked off by the Careers, but maybe not. Maybe I'd win. There's always that little part of you that thinks 'yeah, I could win'. But, then reality shushes that thought, and you come to the conclusion that you'd probably not survive the bloodbath. But what if I could win? Here I am. There're four of us left. Just four. Maybe, with a little bit of luck I could win._

_Just maybe._

The silence lasts for mere milliseconds and then it's suddenly so real, and I'm so scared. The fear here is so much worse than the initial bloodbath. There you could run – you just had to not be the target. But here, you're the target and there's no escaping it. You fight, or you die.

No sooner has the wall collapsed, has Ace sent an arrow flying straight for Chant's head. He knocks it out of the air with his sword, before it can do any damage, and now he's running right at her. Bliss shoots an arrow to her neck, but in the explosion of movement, it's whizzed past her, clanging on the metal horn of the Cornucopia.

This has given me a chance to load my slingshot. I scoop a rock out of my pocket, and equip my weapon. Within two seconds, the rock hurtles itself towards Bliss. It smashes into her shoulder, knocking her over, but she's promptly back up, with just a trickle of blood to show for my efforts. It has, however, damaged her aiming arm. She tries to shoot an arrow back at me, but it misses completely, flying out into the open.

I turn to see Chant and Ace scrapping on the floor. She elbows him in the chin, forcing his muscular physique to roll off her, and she escapes his grip. Ace looks to me.

'Connor!' she shrieks.

I turn to see Bliss running at me, knife in her hand. She's given up on her ranged attack, and I spot her bow lying abandoned in the rubble of the wall. My natural instinct is to run. I get about ten metres before she tackles me to the ground. I instantly get flashbacks of Teal's attack on me, but this far away from the crumpled wall, there is nothing for me to hit her over the head with. All the ammo for my slingshot has flown out of my pocket during the fight, leaving me with nothing to use. I suddenly remember my knife, but am too busy dodging Bliss' knife stabs to be able to access it. One of her hits is alarmingly close, and it skims my head, causing a flow of blood to emerge from above the ear. In the rush of adrenalin, the pain doesn't have much effect, but the blood is starting to get close to impairing my vision.

I finally access my knife, and ram it into her stomach. She immediately stops jabbing, but she's far from down. She stumbles to her feet, ready to attack again, before a knife flies through the air and lodges itself in her neck, and she collapses, as if someone had just flicked a switch and deactivated her body. A cannon fire accompanies her fall, and I see Ace whip out another knife from her belt. One down.

I briefly survey the scene. The wall has left rubble scattering the floor, and various bricks now wobble precariously on the roof of the Cornucopia. Ace has escaped Chant's grasp, but he's chasing her down. I notice her bow is lying on the floor, useless with its string snapped. Ace's quiver of arrows has now been abandoned also, and she arms herself with two knives. I can't see where Chant's sword has gone, but he now wields an axe – no doubt his secondary weapon. They stand around fifteen metres away from me.

Chant has caught up with Ace now, fire raging in his eyes, but it's being matched in hers. He swings his axe up above his head, but as he comes down, Ace kicks him in the groin, sending him back in agony. He's quickly returned though, with each of them exchanging wounds with their respective weapons. I wipe my eye, as the blood from my earlier wound starts to trickle into my vision.

'Connor!' Ace screams, not taking her eyes off Chant for a second, 'What are you waiting for?!'

I suddenly remember the slingshot in my hand. I am about to take aim when I realise my ammo is all gone. I look around for something to use – _anything_ – but nothing comes to mind. Then, I remember my bag, which fell off my shoulders when Bliss tackled me to the ground. I dash over to it, ignoring Bliss' bleeding figure. I quickly scoop up the shell of the beetle that attacked me earlier. The massive horn on it would certainly do some damage. I equip it onto my slingshot and take aim.

But this appears to be tricky. Ace and Chant move with such skill and agility that I am constantly having to shift my aim. Chant now has a massive gash in his arm, which spurts blood, and Ace is trying to ignore her bleeding shoulder. The scene is truly quite horrific and it looks as if both the tributes have been drenches in dark maroon paint. With immense force, Ace slashes her knife down onto Chant's arm, and with a horrifying cry, I watch as half his crimson hand falls to the ground. He shrieks in agony, and it's just enough time for me to aim.

I fire the beetle shell and the dagger-like horn lodges itself into Chant's forehead. His eyes immediately lose the light of life, and he crumples to the floor, accompanied by his cannon. And now there's no Bliss and no Chant. It's just me and Ace.

And I guess my aim's not as good as I thought. Because I wasn't aiming for Chant.

No. I was aiming for Ace.

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Okay, so there you go! The next chapter will be the final chapter - thank you so much for sticking with it for as long as you have! As with this chapter, I will upload the final chapter if I receive 3+ reviews before Monday. If so, I'll upload it as soon as I can, but if I don't I'll still update on Monday. So, get reviewing!

Only one thing to add - Happy Christmas! (or whatever other event you celebrate) ;)


	23. Chapter 23

So, here it is - THE FINAL CHAPTER! Thank you so much for sticking with it, so without further ado...here it is! Enjoy!

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Oh no.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to come down to just her and I. I have to kill her. But, I don't think I can.

Ace looks down at Chant's deceased figure, before turning her head towards me, breathing heavily and still clutching her bleeding shoulder.

'I'm sorry' she says, her voice husky.

Then, with a horrific cry, she picks up the bloody axe from the floor and charges towards me. I grapple with my slingshot, but I have no time to get the other beetle shell. I run away from her, abandoning the slingshot and grabbing the knife out of my pocket. The axe suddenly goes hurtling past my head, mere millimetres away from impaling me. It makes a loud clang as it hits the Cornucopia, disrupting a few shards of brick which fall from the roof.

This is my chance. If I can get the axe, she'll be unarmed, aside from a small knife. I dash towards the Cornucopia. I pick the weapon up, blood smearing over my hands, still disgustingly warm. However, the second I turn with it in my grasp, I am tackled to the ground. Ace grapples for the axe, but I manage to ram my knife into her thigh, causing her to shriek in agony. In turn, she slices open the side of my right arm, causing my knife to fly out of reach, and making me cry out in pain. My head wound has now dried, leaving a maroon layer of blood coating one side of my face, but it hasn't blocked my vision.

Ace overpowers me, ripping the axe from my grip, but in the process pulling herself off my body. I quickly get to my feet; immense pain roaring through my arm as I accidentally put pressure on it. I don't have time to run though. My back is pressed up against the metal surface of the Cornucopia when Ace takes her first shot. She charges at me, and swings the axe straight for my face, I duck out the way and the vibrations as it hits the Cornucopia cause a shower of small pieces of rubble to rain down on us. Ace is seemingly immune to this, blinded by rage. She's put all emotions aside to do this, and I am more scared of her now than I've ever been of anyone in my whole life.

She takes another swing, and again I just manage to avoid it, the axe causing a slightly larger array of brick parts to fall from the roof. One hits the shoulder of my injured arm, and I scream out in pain. All of me is aching, and most of me is bleeding. The horrors I've seen on TV from the other final battles have not been exaggerated.

Ace moves backwards, powering up for a massive shot. This is going to be it. This is the one that's meant to kill. Her eyes are locked on my forehead, as she swings the weapon back. Then she charges and with a cry, smashes the axe towards me. I dodge it, but it takes the last of my energy, and I collapse to the ground. The axe, however, has left the Cornucopia vibrating with the hit, and a shower of rubble falls down on us. This hit has clearly dismantled something, as the shower is more like an avalanche. The chunks of stone range in size from miniscule to nearly a foot wide.

Ace hasn't attacked me again. I turn and see why. The power of her attack has left the axe lodged in the crumpled metal of the Cornucopia. Ace is now frantically trying to wrench it out, amidst the storm of bricks. I see a few bounce of her, but she doesn't seem to react, and I take this as my cue to edge away from the metal horn. I only manage to drag myself a few metres away before she succeeds in getting the axe out. With a massive cry of exertion, she rips the axe out of the metal. But, this has proved too much for the stack of rubble above it.

'Ace!' I scream, my natural instincts forcing me into trying to save her.

But, it's too late. A hunk of stone, around a foot in diameter dislodges itself from the roof of the Cornucopia. Ace has just enough time to turn to see what I was screaming about before the massive ball of rubble hurtles onto her head. The impact knocks her straight over, like a child's plaything, limp and helpless.

My emotions overtake me, and I ignore the pain, dashing to her side, where the avalanche of rubble has now ceased. Her body is covered in blood, but she murmurs something from dying lips. It's all I can do to just hold her hand, and look into her eyes.

'Shh' I whisper, my voice frail and broken, 'It'll all be over soon.'

I hold her hand for a minute or so, before I feel her grip loosen and her eyes close.

'I'm sorry, Ace.' I whisper, and she dies.

The arena is deadly silent for a few seconds. No bird song, no wind in the trees. Silent.

Then, the cannon booms, and the arena is filled with sound. The anthem plays, and I hear a tremendous voice announce.

'Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present you with the winner of the 44th Annual Hunger Games – Connor Jedd!'

I've won. But this isn't what I know winning to feel like. Winning feels like accomplishment, like skill. It feels like being the best, like being proud of yourself. But, I'm not proud of myself. The only thing I've accomplished is killing three innocent teenagers, whilst letting another twenty die along the way. I've won. But this is the worst moment of my life.

I can't control my emotions, and I throw up, then and there, onto the dusty ground. I look around me, and I see what I've done. A few metres away lies Bliss, coated in blood. Deceased. On the other side is Chant, minus half his hand. Deceased. And next to me is Ace, my district partner – the girl who kept me alive that terrifying first night. Deceased. And all around them is a sea of blood, spilled innocently by people who just wanted a shot at life. I can't take it.

I feel my head hit the ground, and I black out.

I wake up in a white room. I'm lying on a bed and there are a few machines hooked up to me. I look to my arm, and see the gash has been stitched up. I raise my arm, tubes following it, and feel my head. That cut has been dealt with too. I hear a click from the machine beside me, and I suddenly feel very tired, before my head lulls and I'm out cold again.

This happens a few more times. It's difficult to count how many as I'm not usually very aware when it happens. However, this time, I wake up and find that all the machines have been removed, and I am just lying on the bed, wearing a plain white robe.

On the table next to me is a selection of clothes. I get changed into a black ensemble, being careful to avoid the camera in the corner of the room from seeing anything it shouldn't be. I then walk over to the door that lies on the other side of the room. I press a button and it hisses open.

Outside I am greeted by a woman in a nursing outfit. She smiles warmly at me, but I don't replicate it. I'm not quite sure what's going on. The woman puts her hand to her head, pressing a button on her earpiece.

'Connor Jedd is awake' she says calmly into the earpiece. 'Yes. Okay, I'll send him right up.' She then turns to me. 'Follow me please, sir.'

I follow the woman to an elevator, where we both get in. I recognise it, and it takes me a few moments to place it as the elevator in the Training Centre. Last time I was here, so were twenty-three others. The woman breaks the silence.

'Congratulations' she says with a smile.

I ignore her. We continue in silence until we reach floor five, and the doors open up. A familiar figure greets us.

'I knew you could do it!' Decimus squeals at me.

He then embraces me in a long hug, and all his fragrances remind me that I'm still in the Capitol. When the hug ends, he has tears in his eyes, which threaten his perfectly made-up face. Drying his eyes, he calls back to the rest of the floor.

'He's here! He's here!'

Decimus nudges me through the floor, and we turn a corner, where my whole team waits – Tyga, Tobi, Cassia, my prep team. Even Surius, Ace's stylist, has made an appearance, though I wonder if he was hoping for Ace to return instead of me.

Cassia, Surius and the prep team are all clapping and cheering, smiles painted onto their faces. Tyga and Tobi both smile, but they take a much more subdued approach – they understand that right now, I don't see anything worth celebrating. Before even speaking to me, Tyga asks everyone but Tobi, Decimus and I to leave, assuring them that they'll get their chance to celebrate soon. Once they've left, Tyga speaks to me.

'You've done it. It's over' she says, embracing me in a hug.

And it comes as no surprise to neither her nor I when I burst into tears. Decimus is somewhat confused, but he now has tears streaming down his face too. I'm not sure if he thinks these are happy tears, but they are most certainly not. These are the tears of someone who has watched twenty-three people die. Someone who has watched people they thought they could trust turn on them. Someone who has killed innocent teenagers. These are the tears of a Victor.

And now I just stand there, clutching onto my mentor and praying that, one day, maybe I'll forget.

_I've often looked back on that moment. The moment Tyga told me it was all over. I wonder if she knew she was lying. She probably knew to some extent, but I wonder if she had any idea just how wrong she was. Because it wasn't over. It never got easier. Sure, I was out of the Hunger Games, but this was when the real games begun. And in these games, it's not just your life on the line, it's the lives of everyone you've every loved. And if you step out of line?_

_Well, it could cost you everything._

_**CONNOR JEDD WILL RETURN IN 'THE TEARS OF A VICTOR'**_

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So, there we go! That's it. But, as you can see, there will be a sequel to this story, as I had so much fun writing with it. Thank you SO MUCH for sticking with this story, and now it's finished, PLEASE review if you haven't already. Honestly, I can't express how appreciative I am of the reviews - they always improve my writing and inspire me to write more, so thank you to everyone who's reviewed! By the way, even if you're seeing this months after I've posted this, then still review - I will always value my readers' opinions.

One little thing also, I only noticed last chapter that when I write '*****' they don't always appear, so if some of the paragraphs seem a bit disjointed I really apologise for this - I can't believe it took me so long to notice! Anyways, in terms of the sequel - it will be a while before it's uploaded, so you may have to wait a bit. I'll put the first chapter on here when it's uploaded, so if you're following this story, you'll get notified when the sequel's up. Oh, and also I made a oneshot about Clove, so check that out if you like my writing!

Anyway, just to finish off - here's a few fun facts about the story:

-I had initially planned for Ace to win, in a surprising twist, but as I continued the story, I started getting so many ideas for a sequel, and I was enjoying writing so much, I just had to keep Connor.

-Melissa is the most mentioned character in the fanfic (183 mentions), followed by Ace (154 mentions) and then Tyga (69 mentions).

So, yeah - thanks for sticking with it, and I look forward to sharing the sequel with you! :)


	24. Intro to 'Tears of a Victor'

So, here we go - this is the first chapter of the sequel to the 44th Annual Hunger Games. It's just an intro, so is very short - but I'll upload the second full-length chapter when I upload the Sequel as a New Story, so save your reviews for that! Enjoy!

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Following the rebellion, the District was left a wreck. Many factories and houses had been reduced to rubble, and now as our team searches through the broken slabs of brick and concrete, it is impossible to tell the original use of the building.

The roof is still pretty much intact, but the inside is scattered with collapsed walls, and I'm forced into stepping carefully as I make my way through the rubble. At the end of the room, there is a door, which still remains strong, and I have to shove at it several times with my shoulder before it eventually gives in, creaking open. I step in, surveying the room.

It's coated in dust, but the majority of the items in it are undamaged – a rarity in a building of this state. Cautiously, I make my way to the other side of the room, where a desk stands. It is coated with all kinds of junk – papers, books, gadgets, wires. I wonder if, during the rebellion, someone made this their hideout. After rummaging through the assortment of objects, I'm just about to leave when something catches my eye. A tiny little blue light is periodically flashing from a metal device. Picking it up, the shape seems familiar. The peacekeepers used to use devices like this when we were under the rule of the Capitol. If I remember correctly, it's a hologram projector.

I flip it onto its back, revealing a button labelled 'play'. I press it and a light at the end of the device creates a hologram of a man, from his shoulders up. The second I see the face, I gasp, recognising the man instantly. But my reaction is cut short when the man starts speaking.

'I am recording this in case anyone ever finds it. In case the rebellion fails. If it does fail and the Capitol continues its reign over the Districts, the history books will tell you the blame lies on the Victors. People who've killed to survive. People like Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. But it doesn't.

I've heard people say that from the moment your name is drawn from that Reaping bowl, you never really leave the Games. I didn't understand this when I was younger. I thought the moment you left the arena, you were showered with riches and left to lead whatever life you choose, free of any of the shackles that the rest of the population has to deal with. I was wrong.

The Capitol has taken everything from me. Everything I've ever loved is gone. They don't tell you this. They let you believe that, if you can survive the Games, you'll never have to worry about anything ever again. But now it's time you know the truth.

My name is Connor Jedd, Victor of the 44th Hunger Games. And this is the story of how I died.'


	25. Summary of The 44th Annual Hunger Games

For new readers of my sequel to this - 'Tears of a Victor', here is a summary of the events of 'The 44th Annual Hunger Games'

Fifteen year old Connor Jedd, from District 5, gets reaped for the 44th Hunger Games, leaving behind his older brother, Tristan, and younger sister, Pura. He is greeted by his escort Decimus, and the two District 5 mentors – Tobi, Victor of the 26th Games, and Tyga, the 18 year old female Victor of the 42nd Games. He is also introduced to the skilful and hard-hearted Ace, the 17 year old female tribute who was reaped from District 5. Connor has a tough time coping with the run-up to the Games, showing no particularly strong skills, which eventually leads him to a low training score of 5. However, during training he agrees on allying with a District 8 girl, Melissa, who volunteered for her sister.

During his time with his mentors, he overhears Tobi comforting Tyga, who cries over the fact that at least one of her tributes will die. In his interview, Connor comes across as friendly, and he manages to increase his odds through a strong performance in front of the Capitol, having been styled by a Capitol woman called Cassia, and her prep team – Pollia, Fabius and Carvilia (who gives him his token, a bracelet designed by a young girl in District 5).

Upon entering the arena, Connor attempts to get a bag from the Cornucopia, but is attacked whilst doing so. Ace throws a knife at Connor's attacker, potentially saving his life, and together, they run off into the arena. Terra, a District 7 girl runs into Ace and Connor's hideout, but he convinces her to stay and ally with them. However, that night, Ace kills Terra, revealing her ruthlessness. This leads Connor to abandon his alliance with Ace.

He witnesses Teal, the District 2 girl – a member of the Career pack, let a 13-year old girl from 9 run free, but the girl runs straight into the other Careers and they kill her. Connor continues through the arena until he eventually finds Melissa and her District partner, Cam. Following the 1000th death of a tribute in the Games, the Capitol bombs the arena to create a good show, which kills Cam.

Through watching the District 3 girl, who Connor nicknames "Frizz", they discover that the bombs contain water in them, explaining the lack of water in the arena. Whilst exploring, they also see Teal get exiled from the Careers after her sparing of the girl from 9 is revealed. Eventually, due to a lack of events, the Capitol call a Feast at the Cornucopia, with the prize being a minute long conversation with the tribute's mentor. At the Feast, Ace, having allied with Rayne, the District 11 girl, manages to kill off two of the Careers. The Feast also results in Rayne's death.

Having received their cases from the Feast, Connor and Melissa each have a private conversation with their mentors. Later, Connor is attacked by Teal. However, in self defence, he hits her over the head with a rock twice, which kills her. Horrified at what he's done, Connor becomes unreachable, with Melissa trying (but failing) to get him to talk to her. After a day of staring into space, he awakes from his trance due to a cannon representing Frizz's death.

With only five tributes remaining – Ace, Connor, Melissa and the District 1 pair, Melissa tries to poison Connor. However, this backfires when he unintentionally lets her drink it, not being aware that it was being a poison. This kills her, and Connor is alone again. Following the announcement of Melissa's death, Ace finds her way to Connor, knowing that District 1 would be working together and that she can't defeat both of them on her own.

The pair arrive at the Cornucopia, where a large stone wall has been constructed. When they reach it, it crumbles, and they begin a face-off against the District 1 pair, Bliss and Chant. Bliss attacks Connor, but Ace kills her with a throwing knife. Ace wounds Chant in a fight, and Connor fires his slingshot with the intention of killing Ace. However, his poor aim causes him to hit Chant instead, leaving just Connor and Ace to fight it out (Connor's intention of killing Ace is not revealed to anyone). Ace attacks Connor, pinning him up against the Cornucopia and swinging at him with an axe. However, her powerful attacks hitting the Cornucopia dislodge a large rock from the roof of it, and it hits her on the head. Connor holds her as she dies, and is then announced the Victor of the Games.


End file.
